Fire to Ice
by TragicMiracleCollection
Summary: The world has started to recognise Daniel Fenton as the hero of Amity Park and the world's saviour - Danny Phantom. But will he learn to accept it? Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Danny's anxiousness grows until the ghosts call for his help once again. Their request: to rid Pariah Dark of the power to rule the Ghost Zone, should he be freed, once and for all. ON HIATUS SRY GUYZ
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Everyone!**

 **My name is TragicMiracleCollection and I am a new writer to this site. I'm not even sure if a lot of people will read this but I'm putting it here anyway. Danny Phantom is one of my favourite shows, so I was sad when it came to an end. This story is how I envision the continuation of Danny's life. It might be short, but it's going to get really interesting. Promise! (Ugh, who am I kidding? Everyone knows that an author's promise is worthless) Regardless, it is now the holidays and I have already written the next chapter, so be prepared for some fast updates!**

 **I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Mob of Fans**

The crowd was waiting.

Eyes excited and bated breath, gazes fixed on the balcony overhead. Easily a hundred figures huddled on the empty road, with more joining each minute. No cars struggled to get through. The neighbours knew well enough by now it was simpler to just go by foot or take the back streets to avoid the crowd.

As the time neared seven o'clock, the crush of bodies grew even denser. Elbows prodded into those around them, eliciting sharp gasps, but none breathed a word of protest. All their attention was focused on the window far above them, on the brick wall of the large building labelled in neon lettering - 'Fenton Works' - and topped with a crown of metal pipes and machinery.

The home of Danny Phantom.

* * *

The light from the gap in the curtains grew steadily brighter with the rising of the sun. It creeped and stretched across the floor, lightly brushing the assortment of clothes scattered everywhere. It reached the bed and slithered up its frame, tickling the features of the boy huddled under the covers.

He shifted and turned away from the light that invaded his eyelids. Breaths evenly escaped his lips and made his chest rise and fall in rhythm, muscles relaxed as he enjoyed whatever dream he was currently immersed in. A peaceful smile ghosted his features.

That peace was instantly shattered when the alarm went off.

His eyes snapped open, breath panicked as he jolted up and surveyed the room - looking for danger. When he found none, he realised his mistake and sighed in relief - then chucked the nearest thing in reach across the room, his literature book, at the alarm clock.

Sadly, it missed.

The boy groaned and wanted nothing more than to snuggle back under the covers and go back to that wonderful dream of flying freely, but knew it was impossible with that constant infernal racket. So instead, he got out of bed and walked over to turn it off. The cool air made him shiver slightly in his light summer sleepwear and he let out a massive yawn.

The boy in question was none other than Danny Fenton, not looking very happy about waking early that morning.

He wandered out onto his balcony and settled his head on his hand, enjoying the view. Unbeknownst to him, the eyes of the crowd sparked to life, taking in the sight of the one they had come to see.

Danny was counting the clouds just as the most unholy chorus of shrieks rose up towards him. On reflex, he ducked and crouched down, his back to the balcony wall as if avoiding enemy fire. It was a reflex he had unconsciously developed from fighting ghosts – duck or get your head blown off.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins, waking every part of his mind and body so he was keenly aware of the situation – his surroundings, the noise, the slight panting from his own lips. As the primary panic wore off, he realised that the noise was dying down and probably was not from a ghost attack. After taking a few moments to calm himself and make sure he was perfectly safe - ghost sense inactive? Check. Ectoplasmic blasts? Nope - he cautiously peeked over the side.

Once again, the screams and cheers nearly forced his body into battle mode, which he mentally forced down. On the street below were hordes upon hordes of fans delightedly pointing up at him. Danny noticed they were mainly teenagers, and girls at that! No doubt trying to get a glimpse of the world's saviour, his alter ego Danny Phantom, otherwise known as the "Ghost boy".

He ducked back down.

Whenever Danny thought about it, it seemed impossible that someone like him who used to be so normal - with embarrassing parents, a bossy elder sister and average popularity - had gained something the rest of the world didn't have. The day of the 'accident' where he had been caught inside his parents' ghost portal upon activation - changing his life forever by giving him ghost powers.

Thus, Danny Phantom was born. A ghost-butt kicking vigilante who saved Amity Park from countless ghost attacks. Originally, he hadn't had much favour from the humans - even his own parents had tried to hunt him down and destroy him on _several_ occasions. However, after leading the coordinated effort to save the world from an asteroid, it was suffice to say that the world now had total confidence in him.

...As well as total obsession over him. In just a week, he had gone from the loser nobody of a minor town to a worldwide superhero. In addition, everyone now knew who he was and expected him to continue saving them - ALL of them.

Aside from the cool statues of himself all over the globe, what else could Danny say he had gained?

 _A total lack of privacy_ , he thought wryly.

Turning invisible, he peeked another look over the side. His 'fans' were whispering excitedly amongst themselves. Many wore t-shirts with his logo on them - a small 'P' inside a flaming 'D' - which he definitely had _not_ approved, as well as other.

It was astonishing really. The crowd had only been there a few days but every morning he saw them felt just like the first. No matter how much his fame screamed at him to wake up, he was always stuck in the dream of being completely unknown to the rest of the world. His lifelong 'loser' status made it hard to accept that he was now a celebrity. A concept that Danny found quite unsettling, really.

These thoughts were what led Danny to keep up his invisibility while he showered and dressed. Not an easy feat while he couldn't see himself. At last, he gathered his books and pens for school and shifted back into the visible plane. Making sure to stay as far away from the balcony as he could, he headed down the stairs.

In the kitchen, Danny's mother Maddie was making breakfast while his father Jack and sister Jazz were sitting at the table. Jazz's nose was stuck in another one of her thick psychology books, while his dad played with some action figures – one for each family member, a bunch of ghosts, and a new figure Danny recognised as his alter ego - while making sound effects like a small kid.

They looked up as Danny walked in, unanimously calling "Good morning!"

"'Morning," he replied. "What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes with bacon and eggs," his mother replied cheerily, placing a plate heaped with food in front of him.

"Dig in, son! After all, you can't fight ghosts on an empty stomach!" his dad said in his usual tone, which was the equivalent of a normal person talking into a speakerphone set to max. Danny rolled his eyes. There hadn't been a single ghost attack since they all went back into the Ghost Zone, probably still recharging from helping him turn the planet intangible.

He stuck his fork into his scrambled eggs. As he brought it to his lips to shovel in his mouth, his ghost sense suddenly went off - a thin wisp of cold, condensed air escaping his lips. He paused, looking around carefully for the source. When he couldn't find any ghosts, Danny turned back to his food and noticed his parents studying him carefully, poorly hidden eagerness alight on their faces.

He glanced at his food, then turned to Jazz, "They spiked the food, didn't they?"

"They spiked the food," she confirmed, never once looking up from her book. "There's an artificial ghost hiding in your eggs." He turned his glare on his parents. The two actually looked ashamed, as if they would have preferred it much better if nobody had noticed. Why would _anybody_ want others to know they were doing experiments on their son to learn more about his ghost powers?

"You created an _artificial_ ghost?" Danny scowled. "Isn't it technically _cannibalism_ if I eat this?"

"Goodness, no!" his mother cried, then coughed in embarrassment. "We would have stepped in if you were going to eat it. It was simply a test to learn how effective your ghost sense was!" Danny wasn't completely convinced that they would have stopped him, and clearly it showed on his face.

His dad jumped in, "That's right! A harmless little test. The ghost is only artificial - a reeeeeeally wimpy one. Making it possess our food would be no harm to anyone."

"Wait, possess?" asked Danny in confusion. Right on cue, the food on his fork twitched and shivered, forming a face and letting out a shrill noise as if trying to learn how to speak without having a mouth. Danny shrieked and flung the fork across the room, embedding it in the wall. The eggs fell to the floor and the small ghost rose out of it, letting out a squeak before fading away.

Danny blinked, "That suddenly gave a whole new meaning to 'you are what you eat'".

Jazz slammed her book shut. "How can you say something like that? You're a child but you're letting your own parents conduct experiments on you!" she cried.

"You're a child too, Jazz," he muttered. Jazz ignored him. "You know what mom and dad are like. Once they decide to investigate something, NOTHING - short of the law - will stop them from finding the answer using whatever. Means. Necessary," she poked him in time with her words for emphasis. "One of these days, they're going to go too far and end up hurting you Danny! Who'll save the world from disaster then?"

Danny knew she was right. But when his parents had found out he was half ghost, the first question they'd asked was not 'are you alright?' but 'how'? Since then, the two had pestered him with dozens of 'tests', analysing him from all angles and wondering just _how_ the ghost portal hadn't killed him upon activation... Or completely anyway. He kept forgetting being half ghost also meant he was half-dead.

"It's fine, Jazz. Besides, if _they_ don't somebody else will. What if someone else tries to do the same thing to some other poor sucker?" He shuddered and frowned into his breakfast. "The sooner the _statistical improbability_ of my being is released, the sooner I can rest easy. Nobody else needs to have their life ruined by being turned into a weapon." All eyes became downcast at that comment, knowing he was thinking of the sudden interest in his 'halfa' existence.

For obvious reasons, the family had been horrified. Years of paranoia due to researching the supernatural had made Jack and Maddie distrustful of the government, believing it was not beneath them to use their discoveries of the supernatural to get a leg up in the world.

His parents glanced at each other and gave Danny twin guilty smiles. "Even so, we'll try to restrain ourselves from now on," said Maddie. "Instead," his mother turned to the walk-in pantry door and opened it. Danny blinked as an avalanche of gifts and letters crashed onto the kitchen floor. She gestured to the pile, "What do you want to do with all this correspondence?"

Danny gaped, "Is all that for me?"

"No," sighed Jazz. "The lab is filled to the brim too. Honestly, who knew having a world famous brother would have these kinds of drawbacks?"

Jack grinned. "But think of all the cool stuff we'll get! There's enough sweets and chocolates in that lab to fill an whole truck! Moreover," he added in a sly tone. "I'm sure I spied a box of those 'Apple Fizzle Choco-roo' snacks they only sell in Florida. I've just _got_ to try one!"

Danny rolled his eyes. Only his dad would find comfort in the absurd amount of mail crammed into their basement.

"Can't we throw it away?"

Jack's eyes turned almost pleading. Correction: they were full-on puppy dog begging. "But not the 'Apple Fizzle Choco-roo's, right?"

Danny sighed, "They're all yours." Jack pumped the air and resumed making an action figure of himself fight a ghost, involving a lot of shooting and agonised ghostly wails.

"We'll have to get rid of _some_ of it," he continued. "What if we gave it to our friends?"

"I don't think we _have_ that many friends," Jazz muttered into her coffee.

"But wouldn't you like to read what all these people have written? I'm sure they're all thanking you for saving the world," his mother arched her brow.

Danny huffed and bit into his bacon, not caring that his cutlery was stuck in the wall, "Don't forget the criticism. Now the whole world knows I'm a freak!" A loud thump made everyone wince. He realised Jack had slammed his fist onto the table and was fixing him with a hard glare.

"Now listen here son. You're a Fenton, and Fentons don't give up. We hold our heads high and proudly. It didn't matter that the whole world thought your mother and I were crazy for believing in ghosts - 'cause we were right, even if it took us twenty years to prove it." He poked his son in the chest with the hand that happened to be clenching the Danny Phantom action figure. "You managed to make a name for yourself in only a single year. Think of all the people supporting you - think of what you've done! Can anyone as good as you call them self a freak, after all THAT?"

His mother and sister looked quite impressed - though Jazz's right eye began to twitch, probably due to her expectations being shattered - at the words coming out of Jack's mouth. He rarely said anything with as much passion except for "Ghost!" and "Can you pass me the 'Banana-Pear Dazzle Delights'?", which was his favourite snack.

Despite his anxiety, Danny knew he was smiling. "Alright. I've been meaning to thank the ghosts anyway, so I'll give stuff to them. I'm not sure about the letters though."

"I'll help you read them," Jazz offered. "We can start right after school."

"If you can even get to school," Maddie said wearily as she sat down. "It's so packed outside that you might not be able to leave. Paparazzi are so pushy these days."

Danny raised an eyebrow and gestured to himself. "Uh, hello? Ghost powers? I can turn INVISIBLE."

Jazz shook her head. "If you do that they'll just assume you decided to stay at home a day longer instead of going back to school. If you don't show your face they might do something stupid to draw your attention, or even break into the house just to talk to you."

Maddie nodded, "It would be bad if the civilians got near the ghost equipment. If their curiosity led to messing with the portal particularly, the whole thing could blow - taking the town with them!"

"It's too bad we don't have a human shield," Jack grumbled over his half eaten pancakes.

It's called a wall, Dad, Danny thought. "Then I'll just fly over them."

"And give the world an opportunity to photograph you?" Jazz questioned.

Danny frowned. "You're right. That _would_ be annoying."

Maddie brightened up and pointed at Jazz, "I know! Jazz can take you to school in her car. It's parked behind the house in the garage, so all you have to do is drive past, let them see you, then lead them away so they'll leave the house alone. It's brilliant!"

Danny and Jazz shared a look. The plans their parents came up with never worked 100% of the time, and it sounded like it would only last until they returned from school but it was better than nothing.

"Maybe reinforce the human security system just in case," Danny said with a smirk.

The four finished eating and Jazz trekked upstairs to prepare her school bag. While he was waiting, Danny decided to peek outside and carefully twitched the curtains apart. For such a large crowd, they sure didn't make much noise while they were calm. He could see nearly the whole space in front of his house was made up of bodies crushed together, sporting cameras and phones in preparation for a pic of their hero.

Danny scanned them - a skill he had picked up from his time as a hero, needing to be wary of ghost hunters in order to keep his identity a secret. He quirked an eyebrow. Quite a few people had backpacks crammed with (unapproved) merchandise, held giant posters, wore shirts with his alter ego's face plastered on them and some even had pretty convincing costumes, though the fake ectoplasm gave them away. It was kind of funny to see so many people wearing your face.

Unfortunately, one girl caught a glimpse of him and started screaming, "There! There he is! At the window!" causing the rest of the crowd to follow suit, pushing and shoving to get nearer to their idol. Danny dropped the curtain and backed away, his earlier unease coming back full force. He scurried off to the garage.

When Jazz arrived, they ignored the silver RV painted with neon green highlights and hopped in a smaller blue buggy. She started the car and carefully backed out of the driveway into a blissfully empty street.

"You ready?" she asked.

I grinned, "Always."

The buggy took off and approached the intersection at the corner of the house. Luckily, the crowd hadn't thought to block it. His sister slowed to let the fans see them leaving, but Danny saw her tighten her grip on the steering wheel. As they passed, Danny put his elbow on the sill and rested his chin on his fist. He glanced out the window.

For a moment, Danny worried that they weren't going to notice him. However, his concern was unnecessary. Almost immediately, they spotted him and begun to shout and push those around them, trampling others in their hurry to chase after him.

The buggy crossed the intersection just as the crowd spilled out behind them.

Jazz noticed the sudden surge of movement in the rear view mirror and suddenly floored the accelerator. The car shot off (slowing down later of course, Jazz was a strict goody-two-shoes and hated breaking even non-legal rules), trailing a stream of fans waving posters and autograph booklets, screaming his name.

The buggy zipped through the streets and steadily pulled ahead. Whenever they stopped at a red light, Danny mentally panicked. He squeezed the armrest and didn't relax until they were once again zooming away from the crowd of followers. More than a few tried to cut them off and caused minor panic on the roads. Jazz had to serve to avoid them, taking a few back streets to throw them off.

When at last it appeared the two had lost them, they shared a nervous look. Jazz cracked a smile first, and suddenly they were laughing, all their tension melting away.

"Well, that was fun. I really thought you would run over that last guy," Danny remarked.

Jazz grinned but kept her eyes on the road. "No kidding. They should include that in Driver's 'Ed - How to Escape a Crazy Fanatic Mob'." He laughed harder, but stopped abruptly when he noticed they were only a block away from Casper High.

The thought of what awaited him caused his dread to return. It grew every inch closer they came to school. Jazz seemed to sense this and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Danny. If things get out of hand, you have me, Tucker and Sam looking out for you. If it becomes too much you can always go home. Nobody would blame you for being uncomfortable around so many people." She made a face that was a cross between a smile and frown. "I mean, I'm only your sister but even I get pestered."

Danny tilted his head in confusion, "Yeah? How?"

Jazz scowled at the thought. "Yesterday, this guy called Kwan kept trying to persuade me to use my 'ghost powers'. He's convinced himself that our parents are twisted scientists who experiment on us - which is not that far from the truth, actually." She considered her next words carefully, "I think he was hitting on me to be honest. He kept asking if our future children would also be part ghost." She shuddered. "So I gave him a taste of the taekwondo mom's been teaching me. I flipped him over my head just like she showed me, but now he thinks I can use telekinesis."

Danny couldn't help it. He chuckled and Jazz shot him a quizzical look then gave a soft smile, glad that he was feeling better. Her words had made him temporarily forget his worries.

Maybe that was all he had to do. Think positive and not let it get to him. He was the world's saviour, right? Surely a little more attention wouldn't be that bad. Danny fought ghosts all the time that were bigger and meaner than regular people. Something like going to school should be a walk in the park.

Somehow, Danny found that hard to believe.

* * *

 **Phew! That was over 3,600 words! I feel so proud of myself! :D**

 **To be honest though, I found it a bit bland and the part about weaponising Danny's ghost powers was hard to write. I kept screaming at myself "Don't make it so complicated! You'll drown all the readers in your endless blathering!" So yeah, this happened.**

 **I'll get to work right away on my next chapter before I post chapter 2 (cause I'm lethargic and if I don't I'll just never get around to it), so the next chapter will be my hostage! Mwahahahahaha!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AHHHHH! Thank you SO SO SO SO MUCH for reviewing! Your words created a warmth in my heart that I will never forget! I just wanna crawl through this screen and give y'all a BIG hug! *hug, never wants to let go, you screaming for air***

 **This next chapter will introduce some new characters, but if you've seen this show you'll know who they are. This whole story is kind of aimed at its viewers, so sorry if I'm not very character-descriptive.**

 **In all honesty, the story came out differently than I expected and I am a little unsure how good it actually is. Oh well, you'll just have to put up with my messed up muse (whose name I'm still deciding on) – so good luck with that!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

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 **Chapter 2: A Few Friendly Faces**

As they drew closer to Casper High, Danny's thoughts travelled to his friends.

Despite school starting up again a week ago, the faculty had asked him to resume his studies the following week. Their reasons were to give the students a chance to 'reorient' themselves after all the excitement caused by the asteroid. He had been more than happy to remain at home; he hadn't really felt like putting up with the stares and gossip direction at him anyway.

Of course, that had been before his home address had become public knowledge, effectively trapping him in his own home. The brief moments of freedom he'd caught by going ghost hadn't really done much to relieve his anxiousness.

What he really needed was to see his friends - for _more_ than a few minutes. They could only pop in, with the help of his ghost powers to bypass the mob, of course - to briefly exchange a few words and drop off his workload. The amount of work they needed to complete kept them away and him busy most of the time.

It seemed that not even the end of the world stops school from keeping up with their curriculum.

As if on cue, Casper High came into view. Danny spotted Tucker and Sam waiting by the curb, looking around as if searching for something. Jazz honked the horn and they both jumped. The two turned and broke into relieved smiles as they spotted him. His sister pulled over and parked in an empty parking spot.

As soon as he stepped out, his friends jumped and wrapped him in a tight hug. He yelped and feared he would have to resort to turning intangible, but thankfully, they let him go.

"Welcome back to The Most Boring Place on Earth, dude!" Tucker smiled, sharing a fist bump with him.

Sam rolled her eyes at him and smiled widely at Danny, "It's good to have you with us again. You have no idea how hard it was to refrain from punching Tucker when he did impressions of you."

Tucker frowned, "I thought you liked them, being lonely without your _boyfriend_ around?" This time, Sam did punch Tucker, but it was obvious from his laughter that he didn't mind, and that Sam wasn't totally angry from the mirth in her eyes.

Although Sam and Danny had kissed right before the meteor struck, neither had had the time to take it further and make it official. They had yet to go on a single date or even hold hands. Honestly, it still felt to Danny as if they were just three friends having fun, but he knew he was in love with Sam and that she felt the same.

Danny smiled, "It's good to see you guys too. As much as I like not having to go to school, it's annoying to be cooped up in your own house. I was ready to release a ghost myself just so I would have an excuse to get some action."

The three continued chatting as they slowly made their way up the path to the front entrance. Jazz had already gone inside, so the front grounds were completely deserted - an odd occurrence for Casper High. Danny briefly wondered where all the students were before the doors were pushed open and he suddenly got his answer.

Hundreds of eyes watched the trio as they walked down the hallway. The air was deathly silent, save for their footsteps bouncing off the walls and making it sound like there were more people walking behind him.

Danny kept his head high and shoulders relaxed, a slight smile on his face, trying to pretend he wasn't as nervous as he felt. On the other hand, his friends wore matching expressions of disdain as they flanked him, glaring at anyone who got in their way. A girl clutching a heart-shaped box tied with a red ribbon tried to step towards them.

Sam and Tucker simultaneously snapped around to glare at her, and she shrunk back with a shiver.

Danny sighed, "Guys, I appreciate the thought, but there's no need to be so protective. They're just looking."

"Looking, or plotting how to get close to you?" Tucker muttered suspiciously.

Sam nodded. "As much as I hate to agree with Tuck, these people have the look of a pack of parched wolves who've just spotted an oasis. Thirsty. Desire. Calculating."

"I'm pretty sure the expression with wolves is supposed to go with prey," Danny muttered, wondering if Sam's outlook on life as a vegetarian had somehow influenced the analogy.

"We gotta let the masses know there's no room for others in _this_ friendship group," Tuck concurred, grasping his PDA threatening, as if he planned to swing it at anyone who tried to so much as touch his friend.

Danny shrugged in defeat, and then suddenly noticed the sound of feet clomping towards them. He looked forward to see the most popular girl in school marching towards him, a look of intent on her face.

Tuck glanced at him. "Still want us to stop glaring?"

"No. Glare harder." Danny's voice had instantly become devoid of warmth. Sam hid a smirk.

The long-haired Latino stopped several meters away and gave a bashful grin, "Hi, Danny!" she cooed. Taking their continued approach to be a greeting, Paulina continued chatting to Danny, ignoring the two on either side. "So I was thinking, since _you_ like _me_ and _I_ like the _ghost boy_ , and you're the _same person_ , maybe we could go to the Nasty Burger together and..."

She trailed off as Danny neared her, eyes fixed ahead as he kept walking. He realised that he had grown taller than Paulina in the last few months. He inwardly groaned as she tilted her head up and fluttered her lashes, obviously preparing for a kiss. Anyone would think he was bee lining to kiss her - but his friends knew better.

They were the only two whose jaw didn't drop when Danny used his intangibility to pass right through her, never breaking his stride or pausing to look back. He held back a smirk when he thought of how the popular girl would react to being treated as if she wasn't even there – like she had treated him more than once in the past.

If he had been part of the crowd, he would have seen Paulina gape in shock, reeling at the fact that he had passed _right through her_. HER! The prettiest and most popular girl in the school!

Then suddenly the sweet facade was gone and in its place was anger at being ignored. The slim girl whirled around, hair swishing in her eyes as she indignantly cried, "Is that _it_?"

Danny paused. Sam and Tucker gave him questioning glances. He nodded to them and as one, they turned around.

"What were you expecting?" Sam posed smoothly, fixing the girl with a hard, but triumphant stare. Paulina scowled. "Back off, goth-freak! This is between _me_ , and _Danny_."

"Which became our problem the moment Danny's identity became known," Tucker interjected. "Anything you say to him has to go through us too."

The popular girl scoffed, "As if YOU knew who he was. He'd never tell a bunch of losers like you!"

Instantly the hallway's temperature plummeted. Everyone shivered and hugged their arms for warmth. Clouds of breath hung in the air. Paulina curiously looked around for the source of the sudden change, expecting to see a ghost, until her eyes locked on Danny.

He was the only one not hunched in on themselves for warmth, feeling quite comfortable in the cold produced from his ice core. His bright blue eyes flashed neon green and the girl took a frightened step back.

Danny mentally kicked himself for releasing his ghost powers and quickly pulled the cold back in. To everyone else, it looked as though he'd simply frozen, so when he took a step forward they all flinched.

"My friends are NOT losers," Danny began dangerously. "And if you call them that again I won't just freeze the air around you." Okay, that was a tad too menacing, even for him. His tone sobered a bit, "I can't believe you honestly thought they had no idea who I was."

Hesitantly, Paulina said, "But, it's true…"

Tucker glared at her, "For your information, we were _there_ when it happened. Sam is the one who convinced him to step into his parents' ghost portal - that's what gave him his powers. So you might as well just bow down and worship her." While Sam punched him for telling the girl about the origin of his powers, Danny was too busy admiring the look of simmering irritation mixed with pale distress on Paulina's face.

"You'll regret this," was all she spat, before turning and stalking away, sending kids scurrying out of the way of her wrath.

"Think she gave up?" Danny asked hopefully.

"I don't think so," sighed Sam. She cast a glance at the students standing around. Their earlier awed silence had finally deceased, replaced by excited whispers and glances shot in their hero's direction. The Goth rolled her eyes and dragged the boys to their lockers, eager to get out of the limelight.

When the trio arrived at first period, the entire school was already buzzing about the clash with Paulina. The girl in question was sitting at her desk stoically, refusing to answer her friends' questions or look at Danny. The students all looked expectantly to see where he would sit, and appeared disappointed when he chose his usual spot, next to Valerie. She was busy writing something, not looking up as he slid in next to her.

"'Morning Huntress," he greeted her.

The African-American jolted in her seat and finally noticed her. The initial shock in her eyes receded and she only sighed softly. "So you knew, huh?" she asked, referring to her secret identity as the ghost hunter, Red Huntress.

Danny nodded, also preferring to focus on his desk. "Yeah. Since the beginning."

Valerie put down her pen, "Somehow, I'm not surprised. I always thought you were hiding something. I guess I won't need this anymore." She crumpled the piece of paper in her hands and sent it flying across the room to the trash can. It hit the rim and bounced off, reflecting exactly how the hunter felt.

With a quick glance to check that nobody was paying them any attention - or really, much attention - Danny reached out his hand and focused his energy. A small wisp of ectoplasmic energy formed in his palm and shot from his fingertips with a flick, flying in lazy swirls over to the paper ball. A thin glow of green enveloped the ball, and Danny concentrated on bringing it closer; using small, sharp hand gestures to roll the along the floor.

As soon as it came within reach, he picked it up and noticed Valerie staring at him.

"That was amazing," she breathed. "How did you do it?"

He shrugged, "Lots of ghosts use telekinesis. I figured I could too, but never took the time to learn. You get pretty good at something when there's only homework to pass the time," he explained.

The girl shook her head in amazement, "I can't begin to imagine what else you might learn to do."

He gave her a small smile before smoothing out the paper she had thrown. She didn't stop him as he scanned its contents. There were parts crossed out so many times it was hard to read, but he managed to get the gist of it.

He turned to her in surprise, "You were going to tell me." About who she was. That she had been hunting him for nearly the past year. That she regretted it.

Valerie avoided eye contact. She slowly nodded, "After you told the world who you were, I thought a lot about all the time we spent together. I thought… if you found out the Red Huntress was actually the girl you considered a close friend, you might never speak to me again. After all, I made it quite clear that I hated you."

"You're right." His answer threw her off and she snapped around to face him. He smiled gently, "I do consider you a close friend." Her shoulders sagged in relief, but he continued. "I don't blame you for having a grudge. It is my fault your life was ruined. If I had handled Cujo better," She raised her eye upon hearing the ghost dog's name. "I wouldn't have got your dad in trouble and made such a mess. Not to mention I never made up for it." He steeled himself and let it out, "I guess what I'm saying is: I'm sorry."

A smile broke out on Valerie's face. "I forgave you _days_ ago. But, if you wanna make up for it you can start right now," she leaned over the gap between their desks. "By letting me help you hunt down ghosts," she smirked.

He found himself smiling. "As long as we don't destroy them, I'd love it if you helped out. Sam, Tuck and Jazz would be grateful for the extra pairs of hands. Just try to keep up with me," he winked playfully. "We'll even take you into the Ghost Zone. After the initial traumatising experience, it really seems to grow on you."

The two continued talking, Valerie questioning how his friends and sister found out about his secret, what the Ghost Zone was like and whether there were any friendly ghosts. Danny beamed at the thought that she was letting go of her hatred for ghosts.

Their excitement and engrossment in their own talk did not go unnoticed by Danny's friends. They shared a smile, happy that the two were getting along without secrets, instead of fighting like usual.

The chatter ceased with the arrival of the teacher, who called the roll and began the lesson - the history of the Medieval Era.

So far, Danny's day had been almost normal. He wholeheartedly hoped it would stay that way, but he knew it couldn't last forever. His hunch was assured during lunch.

* * *

So far, none other than Paulina had approached him, which Danny found quite odd but welcomed. He, Tucker and Sam picked up their trays of foods from the cafeteria counter and ignored the pointed fingers and excited whispers. It was starting to get annoying, really, and the three agreed even a fight against Technus or the Box Ghost would be less agonising.

When Danny asked his friends why the students were acting differently from the crowd outside his house, Tucker said, "Maybe it's because nobody at school thinks you're as a hero?"

"Seriously? After all I've done to protect them from ghost attacks?" Danny asked incredulously.

Tucker rolled his eyes, "I meant they don't see Danny _Fenton_ as a hero."

Sam nodded, "It's _because_ you saved the town so many times that they're having a hard time linking the boy who saved the world with the one who got picked on so often. The masses _love_ stereotypes. It's why the future generations are predicted to fail," Sam's individuality spoke out. Then her eyes grew alight, "I say: _break_ that stereotype!"

Break the stereotype? How was Danny going to do that? It turned out, the answer came to him.

As he was passing a table, somebody stuck their foot out at the last second, causing Danny to trip. The entire cafeteria gasped as he nose dived on a collision course for the floor. At the last second, Danny tapped into his ghost powers, defying gravity to pause in mid air.

Careful not to disrupt his meal, he carefully floated up and righted himself. Already guessing whom it was, Danny turned to look at his assailant. The square face of Dash Baxter stared back, eyes narrowed as he studied the ghost boy.

Sam and Tucker drew up on either side of him. Together, the four of them engaged in a silent quarrel. After a few moments, Dash stood up and got right to point, "Why?"

The trio raised eyebrows at the taller boy, wondering just how much of a dimwit he was.

"You mean, why didn't I use my ghost powers against you?"

The jock nodded. His fist was half raised in preparation to punch one of them, as if he had caught his body from doing it instinctually and was mentally debating if he should lower it or not; which explained the lack of speech.

Danny smirked, "Oh, I did. Plenty of times. Remember all the times you fell into your food tray? Or when you tried to ask Paulina to the dance, and suddenly felt like washing you mom's feet?"

Tucker snickered beside him, "Man, that was hilarious." Sam elbowed him, _don't piss off the jock_ , she mouthed. Tucker shrugged.

Dash opened him mouth, "I mean, why didn't you ever let me see it? You could have... easily overpowered me and… made yourself one of the popular kids." He seemed to be struggling to get the words out. "Nobody would have... been able to mess with you."

"You mean 'bully' him," Sam stated. It was not a question, it was a fact. Dash nodded.

Danny glanced around the cafeteria to see everyone was waiting curiously for his answer, the other popular kids and even the lunch ladies. He considered dodging the question and leaving right then and there, finding the attention uncomfortable.

However, he dismissed the thought right away, opting to set it straight immediately like he had with Valerie and Paulina.

"Because that would have been abusing my power," he replied. Dash frowned in confusion.

Danny continued, "It's not enough to just be good when I'm saving the town as Danny Phantom, part of being a hero is to not use my powers against those I want to protect. You may be a bully, Dash, but you're not an evil person. Unlike ghosts, you turn tail and run as soon as someone stronger than you shows up. You're part of the town I've sworn to protect, despite all you've done to me. I refuse to let past experiences dictate how I treat you, which is why I never openly used my powers against you."

Sam smiled, proud of my 'hero' speech. Tucker just nudged me, "Yeah, that and the whole 'secret identity' thing, am I right?" He giggled, silently reprimanding himself for forgetting the most obvious reason.

"So there you have it. Do you have anything to say, Dash?" Sam queried.

The jock looked puzzled at the answer, but nodded and awkwardly rubbed his neck. "Uh, I just wanted to say, thanks for saving me all the time... Even if I, y'know, treated you horribly."

Tucker and Danny were blown away that the bully they were constantly demoralised by was apologising for his terrorising. Sam just frowned, unconvinced.

"Does this mean we're exempt from getting beaten up by you?" Tucker asked hopefully.

Dash gave a snort, "As if! Just because you're worshipped by the whole world now, doesn't meaning I'll let up on torturing you. You're still the same Fen- _turd_ you always were." Danny gulped, not liking how his future was looking. Tucker tried not to smack his forehead at being ignored.

Dash seemed to think that was enough said, and resumed his talk at the popular kids' table, telling them all about the great epic pass he had made during practice.

"Come on," Danny whispered. "Let's find a table." His friends followed him to an empty table with three seats in the their usual corner of the cafeteria. They busied themselves with their food and tried to forget the fact that people were watching them.

Tucker talked about his newest piece of tech, but his friends only half understood all the specifics of what he was talking about. Sam poked fun at him good-naturedly, calling him 'teckno-geek', to which he responded with "goth-freak".

The two glared at each other until they realised Danny was laughing at them, and smiled again. They shared an evil grin and at the same time said, "whelp," which only served to make him laugh harder, recalling all the times he'd been called that by his ghost adversaries.

When they calmed down, Tuck took a bite of his fried chicken and addressed Danny with a knowing grin, "Y'know, now that you're famous and all, you have to do _that_."

The ghost boy and goth girl exchanged glances, not knowing what their friend was going on about and almost afraid to ask. Danny relented, "What do you mean?"

Tucker gave then an expression that clearly said 'Duh'. " _Autographs!_ You'll be asked to sign load of things! Therefore, you need to start practicing right now." From his pocket he produced his PDA. He slid out the stylus and poked the screen a few times, then slid both across the table to his friend.

"Use that. If you're stuck on what to do, I made a few examples for you, too."

Sam became excited, looking over Danny's arm to watch him flick through the signatures. "I hadn't thought of that. This is your opportunity to express your individuality compared to the rest of the world! You want something that says 'I support green'," she moved her arms about like she was picturing it in the air.

Danny wrinkled his nose, "Why 'green'?"

"Because it can mean a lot of things – the preservation of the world, vegetarianism, peace with the ghosts."

"Or noxiousness." Tucker added. She glared at him and he shrugged, "What? I was being honest." They continued to debate on the 'message' his signature should convey. Frankly, Danny didn't really think he needed one, so he gave supportive comments to the both of them while he worked on his signature with the corner of his eye.

Once the lunch bell rung, he had decided on a cursive font with a swirl on the end, which reminded him of the way his spectral tail looked as he few. The words 'Danny Phantom' looked up at him proudly.

Their next class was with Mr. Lancer. Danny dreaded what the teacher would do to him, now that he knew the reason behind Danny slacking off on his homework and studying. When the aforementioned person finally arrived at the classroom, he only sent a curious glance at the boy before starting his class. Danny took notes like usual, trying to take in everything the man was saying.

The subject was dull: the different types of languages in the world - until he mentioned artificial languages. He stuck up his hand.

"Mr. Lancer, by 'artificial' do you mean Esperanto?"

Mr. Lancer smiled, looking content that the normally lethargic student was taking part in class. "Why, yes, Mr. Fenton. I take it you've had experience with this language?"

He nodded, "I met a ghost who spoke it." He recalled the time he had met Wulf. Tucker had taught Sam and him a few words in order to communicate. His friend spoke it as a way to speak to other nerds in code.

If the teacher was perturbed in any way by Danny calling a ghost his friend, he didn't show it. Instead, he asked something that surprised Danny.

"Do know if the ghosts have their own language?" The other students leaned closer in their seats, also interested in hearing the answer.

"Uh, yeah," he answered hesitantly. "It sounds a bit like a spitting whisper. You can't tell if they're saying words or just cussing at each other."

A chuckled resounded through the room. Mr. Lancer pressed, "Could you give a demonstration? Do you know any words?"

Danny looked to his friends for reassurance. They shrugged. He turned back and wondered if he should – after all, it was the ghosts' language, not his. Did he have any right to it?

He resolved himself to apologise if needed later, not wanting to let the class down and a bit proud that he could show off to Mr. Lancer. "Ok, it's kinda hard for a human to speak it, since ghosts don't need to breathe but I'll give it a go." He recalled a phrase and let out a string of noises, both fascinating and chilling at the same time.

"What does that mean?" someone breathed.

Danny frowned. "I think I just said 'Your doom will be death by corrugated cardboard belonging to the Swansons Moving Company'." He'd heard the Box Ghost utter it during one of their last fights, and since the ghost said the same thing practically every time, he'd come up with a possible meaning for it.

It occurred to him that he really needed to learn the language. It became way too obvious when ghosts were talking about him, taking advantage of the fact he couldn't understand.

Mr. Lancer thanked him and continued his lesson in further detail.

By the time the class was over, Danny knew everything from slang to jargon to argot- a fact he applauded himself for. As the students packed up their books, Mr. Lancer requested that Danny stay behind.

Knowing it was time for his inevitable chewing out, he gestured for his friends to leave without him and waited until the classroom emptied. Once they were alone, Lancer turned to him. "Mr. Fenton, have you ever thought what it means to be a teacher?" Danny nodded, having heard this line of inquiry many time before.

"Nothing gives me greater joy than watching the youth of today's generation feast on the knowledge I provide, and leave Casper High with a richer learning experience. Do you know _why_ I do this?" Mr. Lancer asked.

Danny gulped. "Uh, a sense of accomplishment? Survival of the fittest?" he guessed.

"No, Mr. Fenton. It is to save the world from the decline of language." Danny involuntarily raised his eyebrow. This was a strange way to start a lecture about his study habits.

"Nowadays," Lancer continued. "All humans speak in slang and abbreviations like we just learnt in class. It will become so widespread that one day in the future, we will think nothing came before it." Internally, Danny frowned. It seemed like such a silly thing to get upset about, though he kept his expression neutral. He was sure Lancer had his reasons for worrying about the language trends of the younger generations.

The adult searched the boy's face for any signs, perhaps looking for criticism. This made him tilt his head and more or less blind Danny with the light reflecting off his baldhead, it looked light he had a halo.

Whatever the teacher saw made him take a breath and continue. "But you… you _literally_ save the world. For one so young, you have a heavy burden on your shoulders. I can't begin to imagine the turmoil derived from the expectations, the dangers - living in a ghost-resentful home _as_ a ghost."

That did not sound like a scolding. Where was Lancer going with this? "You don't know the half of it," Danny whispered with slumped shoulders.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is this: I'm sorry for not understanding the difficulty of your situation. I know I made it hard on you, and I see now why you skipped out on your schoolwork and caused your grades to slip." Lancer placed a hand on his shoulder, "Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Danny stared at his English teacher in a stupor, his brain refusing to compute what he had just heard. After a moment, a squeeze from Lancer jolted him back to himself.

"Ah, no," he held up his hands. "It's okay, Mr. Lancer. I've made it hard on you too. My life became so messed up after I got these powers, and I sort of just… forgot about everything else. Things started to seem less important compared to rounding up the ghosts." He tried for a nervous smile.

It worked. Lancer nodded in relief, "I'm glad we both admitted it. However, 'Jane Eyre' forbid if I ever let your grades slip again. Do you hear me? I won't go easy on you."

Danny smiled, "Wouldn't have it any other way."

The man's expression sobered, "If you ever need help with school or studying, you can always rely on me, Daniel." Danny's chest gave an unusual twang when he heard his first name. It made him realise just how much Lancer meant every word.

His smile grew warm, "Thank you, Sir."

They bid farewell and Danny had to admit, he couldn't hide the spring in his step. Maybe school wasn't going to be so bad after all?

* * *

 **Heck yeah! It feels good to get another chapter out of the way! How did you all like it? (did not expect to write this much, will try to keep it to 3,000 words from now on) _**

 **The interactions between Danny and the other characters were hard to write. I did my best to make them sound like they do in the show. Did you see the novel-swear from Mr. Lancer? Anyone got a better idea for that? *shrugs* Well, it'll do for now. Btw, the 'survival of the fittest' part was referring to helping the students in their academics so they contribute to society.**

 **Next time, we start to see some ghosts, so get ready!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! What's up?**

 **I got a couple of questions in my last reviews, so I decided to answer them here.**

 **EvilChocolateBar: Honestly, I didn't remember that Tucker became Mayor at the end of the show, since it's been a while since I watched the show completely. I got the idea for this story halfway through the first season. So, unless I find a use for it in the story, just pretend Tucker handed the job over to a competent adult.**

 **MsFrizzle: You asked why I put in an artificial ghost…. WELL! I THOUGHT you might let that one slide, but clearly you are TOO PERCEPTIVE FOR ME. I was originally going to go with Danny's parents spiking the food with ectoplasm (which I really don't think would do all that much harm, seeing as ghosts are MADE of ectoplasm, but all their weapons use ectoplasm as they seem to work…), but then I remembered all the times that Danny's ghosts sense DOESN'T GO OFF around ghost matter, just around (not) live ghosts. And since the ghosts have left Danny alone for the time being, this was my alternative (just roll with it, it's what I did)**

 **Enjoy the next instalment!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: A Ghostly Encounter**

The rest of the afternoon passed very much like the morning had. Nothing too dramatic or troubling occurred, though Sam and Tucker still kept an eye out for anyone who would bother Danny too much.

Danny overheard gossip about him. Conversations went along the lines of:

"He's not scary at all!"

"Really? Oh man, that is _such_ a relief. I was worried about having to go to school with a ghost!"

"Me too, but they say he's only _half_ ghost. Don't you think he's kinda cute?"

"Omg, I know what you mean! I wonder if he's dating anyone?"

Of course, guys talked about him more like:

"You see that squirt over there?"

"Where?"

"There! The one Dash picks on. He's _Danny Phantom_."

"What!? No way... I've seen him get pounded numerous times. Don't you think he would have fought back?"

"That's the thing! If he's so strong yet acted like a wimp, he must have really cared about protecting his secret identity."

"Do you think he regrets telling the world who he is?"

"Maybe. I know I wouldn't have had the guts."

"Just ignore them. They'll get over it eventually," Sam advised as they walked between classes.

"I dunno... will that work?" Danny replied unconvinced.

"Yeah, Sam. Won't that just make them talk even more? People without material to gossip will just make up more gossip. Soon enough they be saying crazy stuff like he's got no shadow or his weakness is getting trapped in a mirror," Tucker frowned.

Danny laughed, "I did get stuck in a mirror before, though." A ghost called Pointdexter had mistakenly believed Danny to be a bully and switched bodies with him, then trapped Danny in his realm in the ghost world via a portal in a mirror.

"Well, with ghosts, people might actually get some things right, I suppose," Tucker self-consciously scratched his face. Danny shrugged, as long as people were talking about him, the things they said were all the same to him.

At that moment, his ghost core twitched, sending a thrill of ice cold energy through him and forcing its way out his lips. He tensed just as a scream erupted from somewhere nearby, followed by more shouts.

Danny groaned, "Why _now_? I thought the ghosts would leave me alone from now on." Sam and Tucker placed hands on his shoulders.

"Hero duty waits for no one, my ghostly friend. We'll cheer you on from the side," said Tucker.

Sam nodded, "Just give us a shout if you need help. We'll back you up." Danny was grateful for their support, but he couldn't shake the feeling he had heard a touch of a patronising tone.

By now, the rest of the school had established a ghost was attacking, waiting for their hero to present himself. Those nearby looked to him with expecting, pleading eyes. Half were unsure, as if they didn't expect him to do anything.

He looked around for a place to go ghost, then smacked himself at the pointlessness of it. Oh right, he no longer had a secret identity, so why was he being so jumpy?

A familiar feeling settling over him as Danny called up the bright white ring around his waist. It split in two, traveling up and down his body, leaving black and white spandex where his jeans and t-shirt had been.

His logo appeared on his chest, his eyes turned bright green and his hair became the purest white, resembling snow. The rings disappeared, replaced by Danny Phantom, a determined look on his face.

Cheers rung throughout the hall. The students were marvelling over his transformation, whooping with delight. With one last nod at his friends, he turned intangible and flew through the ceiling. The floor above was full of students. They pointed him down the hall and shouted encouragements as he passed.

Danny came to a wall of windows along the classrooms that overlooked the back courtyard. Teens had their faces pressed against the glass and were staring with a mixture of excitement and fear.

"Where's the ghost?" He asked.

They jumped upon hearing his voice, having not noticed his silent arrival. Their eyes sparkled with amazement to see him there floating there in costume. A girl pointed out the window, "Down there in the courtyard! It appeared out of nowhere and demanded to know where you were!"

Danny nodded his thanks and shot off, phasing through the glass. His gaze quickly scanned the area and determined he couldn't see the enemy, perhaps he was invisible? Some boys huddled under a bench table. "Hey, did you see where they went? Or what they looked like?" Danny asked them.

One looked up with a frightened squeaked and gasped out, "N-no. It was t-too fast. Jumped out t-then disappeared."

So, he _was_ invisible. Danny landed on the grass and stood stock-still. He closed his eyes and zoned out the noises and distractions around him, trying to sense the ghost's presence. He focused all his efforts into finding the ghost.

His eyes snapped open, his instincts screaming at him to dodge. He side-stepped to the left, spinning around and aiming an ectoplasmic blast in the face of his attacker.

"Stop or I'll ...!" the familiar figure before him caused his train of thought to crumble.

He recognised that square jaw and pale face. The hair and beard were flaming green, and instead of skin, there was blue tinged metal. An arm cannon was aimed right in his face, charged with a pulsing blue energy the same way his energy filled hand was ready to be unleashed at the ghost.

"Skulker!?" Danny chocked out.

The hunter grinned, "Miss me, whelp?"

Danny only stared, then his forehead creased in disgusts. "Are you STILL coming after me for my pelt? That is _gross_ and, let's face it, if you could you would have done so by now."

The smile disappeared from the taller ghost's face, replaced with a snarl, "Careful what you say, _whelp_ , or I just might find myself experiencing a _mechanical failure_ and accidently blowing your head off."

Skulker's body was made entirely of metal and customised with weapons too, since his own body was about the size of a small pup and no threat to anyone. He needed his suit to be the self-proclaimed 'Best Hunter in the Ghost Zone'.

Danny scoffed at the threat. "Yeah? And when you do experience this 'mechanical failure' my ectoplasm will blow you to smithereens."

The hunter scowled, "Don't try to bluff. I know your ecto-blasts can't do that."

Danny smirked, "Try me." He manipulated the energy in his palm, compacting it and turning it the size of a marble. White light crackled around it like tiny bolts of lightning. He saw the ghost's eyes widen, saw the reflections of the ball in his hand in Skulker's neon green eyes.

"I call it: an ecto-bomb. It'll detonate the moment my concentration slips, If you take me out it will set it off and send you sky high."

Danny hadn't realised a ghost with metal skin could grow pale, but it was evident on the hunter's face until cold seriousness took over again. After a few more moments, he chuckled and lowered his weapon. "Still as fierce as ever I see, and getting better might I add."

Danny lowered his hand too, dissipating the bomb in his hand. His frown was the total opposite of Skulker's smile. He crossed his hands over his chest warily.

"So what are you doing here, Skulker? I thought we made peace. Not hunting ghosts, I presume. Maybe Vlad sent you after me?"

The ghost shook his head, "I have not seen or heard from Plasmius since he tried to turn the asteroid intangible. My long-range scanners indicate he is nowhere on your planet, nor in the ghost zone. He is either dead or lost in space."

Danny quietened. Vlad Plasmius was the alter ego of Vlad Masters, a friend of his parents and a halfa like Danny. He had coerced the world into giving him a huge sum of money in return for saving them all single-handedly. He had planned to use his ghost powers to turn the asteroid intangible, but failed when he found it was made of ectoplasmic resistant properties, preventing ghosts from touching it.

No one had heard from him since, presuming he had fled into space in shame. Danny vaguely wondered if he would ever see him again. The man had been a bit of a fruitloop - hitting on Danny's mom, having a grudge against his dad, trying to get Danny to join him and being an evil person just in general. Still, he knew his parents would miss him, even if now they knew he was part ghost like Danny.

Vlad had revealed his identity when he made his demands, and Danny had told them the story of how he had gotten his powers from the ecto-acne their college invention had caused. Both knew and regretted that it was their fault Vlad had gone on to become a terrorising ghost.

Danny shook himself from his thoughts, chiding himself that this was not the time to get lost in the past. He gave Skulker a questioning frown, "Does this mean you stopped by for a leisurely chat?"

The ghost scratched his neck, "Something like that, I guess. Just checking on how my prey was doing?" Danny stared at him blankly. Skulker looked away, but the self-conscious look in his eyes was too much and Danny laughed.

He didn't mind that students were coming out of hiding and peeking around trees to see there was no fighting going on, not to mention probably wondering why he wasn't beating the crap out of Skulker like usual. He laughed so hard that he unconsciously began floating and rolled around like he was suspended on a wire.

Skulker growled threateningly, "Be silent, whelp! Or I won't hesitate to skin you where you float."

Gradually, Danny calmed down and leaned back with his arms behind his head as if he was lounging in an invisible chair just above Skulker's head. "Why should I? It's not like you _really_ want to skin me, now do you?"

Skulker shrugged, "Just trying to keep up the usual banter. I wasn't trying to be funny."

"It's totally funny! _You_ -" Danny snorted. "-coming to see _me_ like you would drop in on a friend. It almost sounds like you missed me!"

Danny knew he had struck a chord when the hunter broadened his stance, eyes narrowed, and pointed at him with an artificial arm.

"Listen here, whelp," he addressed Danny menacingly. "I am Skulker - the Ghost Zone's _greatest_ hunter! With Plasmius gone and Pariah Dark defeated, _I_ am now your greatest adversary. If I wish it, I could capture you _right now_ without breaking a sweat. You would become my greatest prize, forever condemned to live your life in a cage. You would do well to remember that."

Danny waved a hand nonchalantly, casually flipping around so he was floating on his back. "But you won't, so stop pretending you're my enemy." He knew the hunter was stubborn – after all, he had spent a whole year trying to hunt him with varying degrees of success. He probably didn't know how to be friends with him since they had a rough past. Danny wished Skulker would let go of the past.

But that's not all, he thought. Skulker was keeping something back. "Why _are_ you here?" he tried again. The hunter turned away, a hand on his hip.

"That is my business. Don't poke your nose in where it doesn't belong." The ghost boy studied him for a long moment, then moved to a cross-legged position and placed his hands on his ankles, still upside down so his fringe flopped in the air.

"So basically, you had a spat with Ember and she kicked you out. Am I right?" he asked, referring to Skulker's girlfriend, the guitar playing rock star and also a ghost Danny had fought before.

All of the ghost's bravado immediately fell away, replaced by a sad glint in his green eyes. Equally bright green eyes studied him with concern, "Are you alright?"

"No," Skulker sighed. "It is as you say. Ember has been a bit of an ice queen lately and I don't know why. I thought, you have an ice core, so maybe you would... you know, give me some pointers?"

Danny nearly fell out of the sky, "Are you calling me an _ice_ _queen_?"

"What? No! I just thought you might know what Ember's so mad about."

Danny righted himself and floated right on front of Skulker, hands on his hips, and fixed him with a look of mild confusion. "And just _how_ did you think having an ice core makes me helpful in this situation?"

Sulker tilted his head, "So… it's not helpful?" Danny rolled his eyes.

"Dude, for problems with your girlfriend being cold, you don't need to ask advice from a person who's _literally_ cold. Anyone could have helped you. Why didn't you ask another ghost?"

Skulker considered it, then placed his fist into his palm, a connection being made in his mind. "I see. Then, I'll go ask for help from the Far Frozen. They have plenty of experience with ice, so it should work." Danny face-palmed, just how thick headed _was_ this hunter? No wonder Ember was mad at him!

"Wait, wait!" Danny cried. He lowered himself to the ground, planting his feet and spreading his hands. "Look, that's not what I meant. I'm happy you came specifically to me for help and I'll be glad to give it. In fact, there's something in need your help for."

Skulker raised his brow, "What is it?"

Danny took a deep breath, "A favour."

* * *

Once Danny had explained his terms for helping Skulker, the taller ghost agreed and left to do as he asked.

As the white haired and green-eyed boy watched him fly away he let go of his transformation. The white ring of light once again split and travelled along his figure, replacing black and white spandex with his jeans, shirt and sneakers. His eyes reverted to their clear blue and his hair became messy and as dark as the midnight sky.

With a brief pat down to brush off non-existent specks of dirt, he surveyed the courtyard around him. Students were standing just outside the doors and crowding the windows. As soon as he turned his attention to them, the spell was broken and they rushed forward.

Danny yelped as he was grabbed and placed on someone's shoulders - which was easy for the jock since he was so skinny. Another student from the cheerleading squad led the crowd in chanting his name.

"Phantom! Phantom! Phantom!"

Danny was overwhelmed. The screams deafened him. The extreme jostling and arms reached out to him kept him frozen in shock. It was all he could do to hold on while the crowd paraded him around the courtyard.

Everywhere he looked, he saw wide smiles and star-struck eyes. But why? Danny hadn't fought Skulker at all. Not even scared him off! Maybe this was related to what Tucker said before, about the students not being able to recognise him as a hero. Seeing him in action – or, _seeing_ him anyway– as Danny Phantom had finally struck the match that lit the fire.

The crowd was a burning oven at last ready to consume him. Their excitement swept over him in heat waves. With a slightly dazed look in his eyes, he looked around for his friends, hoping to see them nearby.

He spotted Valerie in a window. He gave her a small wave and she returned it, then rushed to catch the girl beside her who had fainted upon thinking he had waved at her. The popular kids, Dash, Kwan and Paulina, stood at the edge of the crowd with expressions of amazement, excitement and disdain respectfully.

At last, Danny's mind cleared enough to recognise the shouts behind him. He saw his friends forcing their way through the crush of students towards him. Danny's smile broadened. Without a word, he intangibly slipped from the jock's grasp and glided towards them. The mob groaned in disappointment, but kept away as Sam and Tucker bombarded him with questions.

"What happened!?"

"Are you alright!?"

"Did you catch the ghost?"

"What did they want?"

Danny felt a surge of gratitude towards his friends. They always worried about him and tried to do as much as possible to help him. He decided to ease their worries.

"In answer to your questions: Skulker was here, I'm fine, he went back to the Ghost Zone and he wanted advice about Ember." They stared at him, linking his answers to their questions, then sagged in relief.

"Thank goodness. It was hard to get through the doors because so many people were blocking it. We couldn't see a thing!" Tucker sighed. Danny hoped they would let the issue of not catching Skulker go, but Sam was too smart for him.

"Wait, didn't you say he went back to the Ghost Zone? Why trust him to get there on his own?"

Danny laughed nervously, "Well, I sorta-maybe-kinda asked him for a favour, and he went back there to do it." Something snapped in the goth's eyes. Danny feared for his life, desperately hoping it would last more than five minutes more.

She grabbed his shoulders and shook him like a rag-doll, screaming, "DANIEL JACK FENTON, ARE YOU INSANE? YOU LET A GHOST GO, BETTER YET, ASKED HIM FOR A FAVOUR? WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE HE COULD GET INTO! YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST GONE WITH HIM!"

Daniel replied as best as he could while enduring such rough movement, "It's – fine, Sam. He'll – do just – what I – asked. They're – not my – enemies – anymore. We – made peace – after the – asteroid - …. I think."

Sam scrunched her eyes in frustration, "What you _think_ is not good enough! What happened to the Danny who never let a ghost have their way? Who kicked them all out – no exceptions – with an iron fist? You might be on better terms since joining forces with each other, but you're still enemies."

Danny struggled to reply, she was still clinging to his shirt and scowling furiously. He tried to plead with his eyes for Tucker to help him , but the techno-geek just watched the whole scene with amusement. The crowd behind him however, glared at Sam for assaulting their hero, but were too scared to go against her.

Knowing that his next move might just make her even madder, he turned intangible and disappeared underground. Sam pounced on the place he previously stood, practically screaming at the dirt, "COME BACK HERE, we are _not_ finished, Danny!"

"I know, you're mad, but _trust_ me, Sam." He poked his head out of the ground (which in retrospect must look really creepy). "The ghosts and I see each other in a different light. They know the lengths I'd go to save our world, _and_ theirs. It's been made perfectly clear to them that I respect them, but won't tolerate any unfriendliness towards humans."

He grabbed Sam's hands and pulled her up, setting his own feet on the ground. Sam felt a familiar heat flood her cheeks, but she kept her expression serious.

"Are you _sure_ you can trust them? After all the fighting between you?" Danny gave her a bright smile, and planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Positive. It's time we stopped fighting."

* * *

 **Dun-duh-duh-duhhhhhhhh!**

 **Who saw that coming? I certainly didn't! I realised that some of you might be wondering if DxS had a place in this fanfic, so I decided there is! Awwwwww, they're just adorable!**

 **Tucker: Not to mention, I recorded the whole thing on my PDA. *evil grin* Blackmail….**

 **Me: Atta boy Tucker! *casual smile* Send me a copy! *dark expression* No, really,** _ **send me a copy…**_

 **Tucker: *backs away slowly, runs for it***

 **Me: Hm? What's up with him? Oh, well… I finally came up with a name for my muse! Everyone, I'd like you to meet… *gestures dramatically, points to a curtain* JADE!**

 ***curtain rises, reveals girl eating huge sandwich***

 **Jade: *freezes halfway through mouthful, swallows, mumbles* I worked really hard okay….**

 **Me: THAT IS NO EXCUSE TO PLUNDER THE PANTRY, YOU GLUTTON! *sigh* Jade here has some "eating difficulties" and I'm still waiting for the baby locks to arrive.**

 **Jade: *really quietly* As if that'll work…**

 **Me: I HEARD THAT! Anyway, onto the next chapter! Coming soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heya! Jade and I have been busy the last few days, but we managed to finish the next chapter of Fire to Ice!**

 **Ne ne, guess what? I went to my friend's house and they recently adopted a puppy - NAMED DANNY! *heart melts, goes into shock* He's an adorable beagle and my family were all cooing over him - except me, cuz I'm a cat person. I mean, he was playfully jumping up my legs and tickling me, but I wasn't petting and cuddling him like my friend was...**

 **Jade on the other hand... Wow... She ate so much that she refused to budge from the floor even when Danny started chewing on her hair. She spent two hours trying to get the dog slobber out of it.**

 **Anyway! On with the show! Voila!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Slight Panic and a Mountain of Letters**

Any peace that Danny had hoped for while at school flew out the window after his 'heroic' act. For the remainder of the day, Danny was flocked by adoring fans crooning for his attention.

It got so bad that students were skipping their own classes just to gaze at him through the classroom window. The teacher of his last period class became so fed up with the whispers outside that he gave every student in the hall detention and threatened to have them suspended if they stuck around.

Sadly, not many listened to his warning. The kids in his own class focused more on Danny rather than the teacher, so he could feel dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on him the whole time. It was so distracting that he didn't get much work done - neither did anyone else.

Danny dreaded the moment the bell would ring, and as soon as it did, kids were out of their seats and demanding autographs. Danny did his best to sign whatever was thrust in his face, glad that Tucker had persuaded him to practice. More and more people crowded into the room, making moving around difficult.

Danny didn't dare try to leave the room, knowing it would be much worse outside, so he parked himself in his seat. All his battle instincts were yelling at him to go ghost and escape the crush of bodies, but his friends had promised to find him as soon as their last class had ended.

All he had to do was hold out for a few minutes.

Those were maybe the longest few minutes of Danny's life.

* * *

As soon as the school bell rang, Sam was up and out of her seat before the teacher could say, "Class dismissed." Throwing her bag over her shoulder, the goth girl sprinted down the hall. She dodged other students hurrying in the same direction, glad her fitness allowed her to be so fast.

Tucker poked his head out of the science classroom and was instantly grabbed by Sam. "Wha- AHHHHH!" He stumbled along behind her as she dragged him along at breakneck speed. "Slow down, Sam!"

Sam grit her teeth, but didn't answer. Instead, she hauled him down the rows of lockers and stopped beside theirs. Hastily opening her lock, she didn't bother to check the contents before cramming everything in her bag. Tucker followed her lead, then together they did the same to Danny's locker, sharing the books between them.

Sam slammed the door shut and took off again. This time Tucker didn't hesitate to follow her, her haste rubbing off on him. Neither spoke a word, both knowing exactly where they were going. They had memorised Danny's schedule a long time along.

As the two turned the corner, they heard the sudden increase in noise and spotted the large crowd outside the classroom. Sam quickened her pace, almost flying towards the crowd and launching herself into it. Students protested and complained as she pressed her way through, pushing and shoving until she was inside the room, Tucker right behind her, squeaking every time he received a blow from an elbow or foot.

The goth stared straight ahead, her attention fixed on the centre of the hurricane of fans, searching for the familiar mop of black hair. "Danny!" she called. She could see him now. Just flashes of him between the jungle of bodies swaying around him. The look of apprehension as bright as day as he penned his autographs on paper, shirts, bare skin for those without something to sign.

Sam called again. This time he heard her, turning hopefully towards the sound of her voice. He stood up from his seat and tried to make his way through the throng. Hands pulled him back. Danny's eyes were wide in panic. She could see the struggle in his eyes; battle mode was close to winning.

Battle mode was a natural response he had unconsciously created to protect himself. She and Tucker had noticed that whenever something scared or made him feel threatened, Danny subconsciously transformed and used his powers to protect himself. If he went ghost here, he'd cause a massive panic. Danny might end up hurting someone, and in a room as crowded as this there was no shortage of targets.

She couldn't let that happen.

Danny needed her.

She reached out her hand. Hands and arms blocked her view, but she knew he was reaching out for her too. Sam felt the distance between them as if they were on opposite sides of the planet. So close and yet so far.

"Where are you, Danny?" she whispered. There was a moment where she thought her hand might not reach him - and suddenly his hand was in her own. Sam got a glimpse of his gaze. Gone was the storm. The lightning had struck, followed by the booming thunder. His initial panic was over. She could see he had a better handle on his feelings now, but he still needed to calm down.

Sam's breath hitched, her skin growing hot from the close contact all around her. She nearly screamed when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced back, amethyst orbs meeting teal ones. It was Tucker, reassuring her of his presence. Sam smiled and they shared a nod. She locked eyes with the boy in her grasp once again. "Hold on, Danny, we'll get you out of here." She wasn't sure if he heard her over the squeals of delight and wonder. It didn't matter, he knew it anyway.

Gripping the sweaty hand with both her own, Sam pulled with all her might. Tucker grabbed on and helped her. It took a few breathless moments but finally they pulled the boy free from the mob. He slipped out like a cork from a bottle. The two friends shoved the boy between them and formed a protective wall around him.

The crowd grew wary as they recognised the two who separated them from Danny. His bodyguards? No, his friends. "That's enough! Stay back, give him some room!" Sam shouted. Thankfully, the crowd obliged, though they didn't look too happy about it.

Danny hunched over and took long, deep breaths. Tucker gazed at him worriedly and returned his eyes to staring firmly back at the students. The crowd muttered and suddenly choked off when Danny stood up, composed once again.

He smiled thankfully at his friends. "Let's get out of here." Sam and Tucker smiled back. Giving one last glance around they clung onto him and felt the familiar sensation of weightlessness come over them as Danny turned intangible and flew them up through the ceiling.

The trio passed through several floors, scaring the pants off quite a few people. When they emerged from the building Danny set them down on the roof but clung on to them a while longer, "Thanks guys. I was real close to freaking out back there."

Sam sent him a prized smile, "Hey, that's what friends are for. We'll always have your back."

"Sam's right. It's all for one and one for all. So it's our duty to save you from disaster too!" Tucker grinned as he backed off, puffing out his chest and making grand gestures as he talked.

Sam frowned, "I wouldn't call that a disaster." She was referring to the mob in the classroom.

Danny huffed, "Yeah? Well I would." He leaned against the wall encircling the roof. "I'm starting to think maybe it wasn't such a good idea to reveal my identity." Just as he finished a chorus of shouts sounded from below.

"There he is! Quick, get the camera!"

"Come on, men! This'll be the scoop that makes my career!'

"Are you listening to me!? I said I wouldn't sell any pictures for at least _twice_ that amount!"

Danny whipped around to behold the scene in front of the school entrance. The biggest crowd he had seen so far entirely made up of news crews, photographers and journalists. Multiple flashes blinded him from the dozens of cameras. Journalists hollered questions to him, but there were so many he couldn't make any out.

Danny leaned back and tightened his grip on the wall's metal bar. "Great," he sighed. "Nothing could be worse than this."

Sam said, "Cheer up, Danny. It's not as bad as fighting a whole army of ghosts. You'll get used to it."

"But if it _was_ an army, at least he could've blasted them," Tucker speculated. A hard glare from Sam. "What!? I just think I'd prefer an army over _this_ ," he pointed to the crowd.

Sam sighed, "You're right." It certainly sounded simpler if you just punch your way through.

Danny sank to the ground with his back to the wall, "Guys? Have a made a huge mistake?" Both shook their heads as soon as he let out the words. He smiled weakly at them, they would always stand by what he had said and done, and if he ever did do something wrong they would tell him. He trusted their judgement.

"I am so sick of crowds today. Not that I look forward to the one outside my house, but I feel like going home." He stood up, careful to stay away from the edge and held out his hands to his friends. "Let's go."

They grabbed on and Danny took off, forming a spectral tail where his legs should have been and shifting them into invisibility. They climbed higher and higher until the whole town spread out below them. They relaxed as they glided through the clouds. Danny let go of the invisibility, seeing as the clouds would hide them from view.

They enjoyed the view in silence, happy just to enjoy each other's company.

* * *

Tucker was the one who broke the silence first.

He glanced at his friend, "So, uh... Danny. Are you feeling alright?"

The ghost boy turned to his friends questioningly, "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Tucker continued, "Well, we've been flying for a while and I thought you might be getting tired. Usually, you transform for long distances." The girl and boy beside him stared at their tech-loving friend thoughtfully.

"Well," Danny began. "It's true that I used to be capable of a lot more while in ghost mode but I feel just fine now."

"Do you think you might be getting more powerful? This wouldn't be the first time you discovered a new part of your powers," Sam asked. Danny considered it.

It was possible. He'd once overheard some ghosts talking about how strong-willed ghosts found their powers expanding over time. Since ghosts could be described as the emotional remains of people who were once alive, it would make sense if their powers were connected to their thoughts and feelings.

"Maybe," was all he answered. "Or maybe I'm like Ember. They more people who know my true identity, the more power I get?"

Tucker whistled appreciatively, "If that's true, we should have blown your cover _months_ ago." To the identical glares directed at him he shrugged, "What? I swear, I feel so hated today."

Sam spotted the FentonWorks sign below them. "There," she pointed. Danny grasped their hands tighter, cloaked them with his powers and nose-dived. The pair trailing behind him screamed at the sudden drop, but the wind cut off their shouts so they just screwed their eyes up tight.

Danny was like a mega-fun rollercoaster. Whenever the pair flew with him, their minds almost went into shock at how fast and dangerously he soared. Danny didn't think twice about the stunts he pulled, often doing loops or just dropping out of the air before flying away moments before he hit the ground. He loved the thrill. More than that, he loved being able to get close to the stars at night, reminding him of his dream to be an astronaut.

However, while his friends didn't mind it and even found the exhilaration fun, he never gave them warning for when he would do them. Sam and Tucker both found this annoying but were content to forget it in favour of the ride. Sam however, was unable to ignore the nagging thought in her head that one of these days she should really tell him.

The trio dropped like a stone, sped up by Danny's speed. The ground rushed closer to them but none of them were worried. As they came closer, the three could see the familiar shape of countless bodies tightly spaced together in front of his house. It seemed that Danny hadn't been able to keep them away for long.

Preferring to avoid the headache they would give him, Danny flew them through the second storey wall and landed in the floor below in the living room. He let go and they became solid and visible once again. A loud clanking coming from the kitchen told them his parents were busy working on another invention of theirs.

"Mom? Dad? I'm home!" Danny called and wandered through the doorway. His friends followed him.

Maddie looked up and flicked up her safety mask, turning her blowtorch off. "Hi, kids! How was your day at school?" From the unhappy expressions she was seeing, she gathered it hadn't been good. "That bad, huh?" she sighed. Jack poked his head up from under the table.

The three had known he was there since the moment they walked in. Danny's father was so large that the table wasn't able to hide his enormous orange bulk. "Ah, don't worry about it too much. I mean, look at me," he gestured to himself. "I was popular during my college days but my old chums still won't talk to me. The same will happen to you, you mark my words."

 _Maybe that's for a completely different reason_ , Danny thought as his father ducked under the table once again. Everyone knew that Jack was obliviously forceful and unaware his "popularity" was viewed differently in others' eyes. He could mistake common bullying for friendly horsing around even if it was labelled with a neon sign.

"Sure, Dad." Danny had learned from experience that agreeing with his father's perceptions led to less arguing later. "Did you manage to upgrade the security systems while I was gone?"

Maddie gave an affectionate pat to the device on the table, "Yes! This baby is the last instalment to keep out those pesky paparazzi. Your father asked me to delay the upgrade so he could fend off any intruders with the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick."

Jack stuck his head back up with a satisfied look on his face, "Yep, there's nothing better than whacking nosey civilians over the head with a baseball bat."

The teenagers laughed. "Where's Jazz?" Danny asked afterwards.

His mother answered, "We got a call from her a while ago. She heard how you disappeared from school after the bell, so she's on her way in her car right now. She should be here soon." He thanked her and he and his friends trekked upstairs. They entered Danny's room and dumped their bags, then collapsed on the furniture. With the crowd out of sight, Danny felt more at ease, slipping back into his usual lifestyle.

They were able to talk about how they had been since the last time they had spent a time together. Sam told them about the cause she wanted to support for protecting trees. Tucker recounted his difficulty trying to pick between which new PDA model to buy. Both listened intently to Danny's story of learning to levitate objects - he'd dropped quite a few things on his head, he'd been embarrassed to admit.

Danny, Tucker and Sam were laughing so much that they didn't hear the knock at the door. The knock came again and Jazz poked her head through the door. "Hey bro, hey guys. How are you?"

They smiled back. "Much better now. School was crazy," Danny gave a brief description of the trouble they had experienced. Jazz listened with growing worry as she leaned against the doorframe. Even if he was smiling now, it didn't sound like a good environment for her brother to learn in. She hid her feelings behind a mask of laughter.

"Sounds rough. I was worried when everyone thought a ghost was attacking. I'm glad that wasn't the case. I wanted to ask if we could start reading your fan mail. Tucker, Sam, would you like to help?"

"Sure. It'll be faster with more hands," Sam said.

Tucker nodded, "I'm down to that. Maybe they'll even mention me! After all, I _am_ a ladies man." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, a sly smile on his face. The other three rolled their eyes at him, used to his comments about himself.

In the living room, Jazz had piled the coffee table with as many letters as she could. Some had fallen to the floor and the whole pile was shaking as if it would fall over at any time. The group got stuck into it, reaching for letters and reading them at their own leisure.

Danny opened the envelope in his hands and took out the letter with eye closed. He unfolded it and peeked at the contents. He expected criticism, harsh words and hateful feelings directed at him for being what he was. Danny thought people would call him a freak of nature who should stay away and leave them alone.

Instead, he was faced with gratitude for his efforts. Praise at his heroics. Danny flicked through more and more letters - some short, some long, some caked in sparkling glitter - but it was the same everywhere. His friends and sister would occasionally recite words aloud, letting him know that their letters said the same thing.

It gave him a warm feeling inside, knowing that so many people were happy he had ghost powers. Maybe he had been overthinking it when he'd been expecting a lot worse.

Danny smiled. It felt nice to be appreciated.

* * *

 **Hey! TragicMiracleCollection here!**

 **I'm so sorry it took a while to update. I wasn't feeling really motivated because Jade kept emptying the pantry behind my back.**

 **Jade: Yeah, yeah. That's just your excuse. The truth is she was being a lazy slob all week and -**

 **Me: THAT'S ENOUGH FROM YOU! Thanks to you, I couldn't eat my chocolate broches!**

 **Jade: *shrugs and wanders off, stomach grumbles***

 **Me: Well anyway, the good news is those baby locks finally arrived and I had them installed just now. *grins evilly* Let's see her try to steal my snacks now!**

 ***long silence***

 **Jade: *incomprehensible screaming, loud thumping***

 **Me: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! My evil scheme *cough cough* I mean** _ **plan**_ **has worked!**

 **Btw, did anyone else think the part from Sam's perspective was a bit dramatic? And that all she does is glare at Tucker? I apologise for any disappointment and for the boring ending.**

 **See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Greetings!**

 **School is currently back on and I might not find the time to update as often as before - as you can see this chapter took me two weeks because school sucked all the energy out of me. What do you think Jade?**

 **Jade: *weak from hunger, collapses* Give me foooooood...**

 **Me: My, whatever could be wrong with her? *shares knowing wink with the audience* I guess I'll just have to do the disclaimer myself. You just chill out on the floor, 'kay?**

 **Jade: *weak groan***

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: A Net Full Of Goodies**

If any other person told Danny their life sucked, he would seriously punch them in the face. Nothing - and he meant _nothing_ \- could be worse than this right now. Let's break it down:

1\. Wake up to a screaming crowd of fans.

2\. Be chased on his way to school.

3\. Evade the news crews.

4\. Endure the stares and random requests for autographs and photos.

5\. Try to focus on class with everyone staring at you.

6\. Try not to panic when his lunch table is swarmed.

7\. Somehow make it through the rest of the day.

8\. Meet up with friends to escape school.

9\. Steer clear of the even bigger mob outside his house.

10\. Read fan mail, do homework, repeat.

The worst part was that Danny couldn't even use his ghost powers to bail out of uncomfortable situations. The gossip about him was already bad enough - people thought he might be tempted to cheat or peek into the girls' locker room (why would he ever?) He didn't need people saying he took his powers for granted and used them for every petty thing as well. On the plus side, he had the best bodyguards a guy could ask for.

Sam and Tucker made sure nobody got too close or too comfortable with Danny. If someone even brushed their toe over the line, the two would be onto them in a matter of moments, like a pair of rabid dogs chasing away a squirrel. Not to mention... Dash was being nice to him now. It still confused Danny that only a few weeks prior the bully had been teasing him nonstop. Now, the jock was actively standing up for him and sitting at the next lunch table over, almost like he was keeping a protective eye over him.

When a news crew had managed to grab Danny and bombard him with questions, Dash had been the one to pull him free and tell them off. Sam and Tucker had quietly led him away while the jock argued with the reporters and journalists. It made Danny feel happy that he no longer had to put up with Dash's bullying - that he might even be able to _rely_ on Dash for help. His friends were not as hopeful.

"He just feels bad for unknowingly beating up the town hero," Sam said over her salad lunch. "He probably just wants to earn your trust so he can boast about being pals with you." Not the most encouraging comment she's ever made.

Danny sighed as he signed yet another school diary, "It'd be nice if there were more people like you to keep the crowds off my back. Like a police escort or something. Maybe if _someone_ was still the _mayor_."

Tucker blanched at his glare, choking on his juice. He coughed and retorted, " _You_ try being elected for an adult's job when you're only a kid. See how long it takes them to _replace_ you." He hunched over and deteriorated into annoyed grumbles. After the asteroid incident, Tucker had been elected Mayor of Amity Park, a position which only lasted for a few days before he was sacked and replaced with a 'competent adult', who just so happened to be the Mayor before Vlad had taken the position for himself.

Tucker wasn't so fussed since he knew the job would only invite the opportunity to take advantage of his power. He already had an entire high school thinking he was lame and nerdy; he claimed he didn't want the rest of the town disliking the way he ran the council. "I don't like all the attention. It's surprising you haven't snapped under _your_ pressure yet," he had said to Danny.

Except Tucker was a lot farther from the truth than he was aware. Danny was feeling really fed up with the celebrity lifestyle. He couldn't even eat his lunch without being stared at - talk about _creepy_. The press and his 'fan club' were driving him up the wall.

His stress had led him to keeping the curtains closed and staying away from his balcony, particularly after the fiasco a few days ago where some of his fans had tried to reach his bedroom window on the second floor by forming a human ladder. The four had only backed off after his dad had knocked them down with the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick. Danny could feel the tension gathering at the base of his neck, like a string being pulled taught with each twist. He was close to snapping - he _knew_ he was - and yet he refused to drop the upstanding hero persona while in public.

Right now, he was sitting with his friends at lunch, routinely signing the items put on the table from the que that stretched out the doors and down the hall. He had no idea how the line kept growing. There was a constant amount of things to sign, he'd have thought everyone now owned at least three things with his autograph on it.

Tucker informed him of the reason. Apparently, the cool kids had started the craze of making Danny sign his (still unapproved) merchandise and then selling it online or to the mob at Danny's house. It felt wrong that he was simply being taken advantage of to make money, but that was how the cool kids worked. They only cared about improving their already impressive collections - Dumpty Humpty, Ember McLain and now Danny Phantom.

"And have _you_ sold anything, Tucker?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. When his friend averted his eyes, Danny knew he had. Tucker never could resist the opportunity to make money. It was another reason he would have made a terrible mayor, even if that power would be extremely useful in his current predicament.

Sam placed a hand on his arm, "Look, it doesn't matter what people do with their stuff. All that's important is people look up to you. Even your former bullies kind of respect you now." Her smile was enough to dull the sharp edge of stress Danny had felt pressed against his throat the past week. He put down his marker and asked the que if they could leave them alone for a while.

Grumbling, the crowd walked off, though he noticed some were tightly clutching their items and had their eyes fixed on him, ready to spring closer when the moment presented itself again. He smiled at his friends, "Let's go somewhere after school. I feel like it's been forever since we went out and did something."

Their expressions lit up instantly, almost as if they had been waiting for those exact words to leave his lips. "How about the movies?" Tucker suggested. "There's a new 'Empress She-Wolf Rises' film." As the three talked it over none were expecting the PA announcement to drown out their words.

 _"Daniel Fenton to the Principal's office. Daniel Fenton to the Principal's office."_

"What do you think it could be about?" Danny wondered aloud. His friends rolled their eyes at him. He thought back over the past week and sighed, "Right, stupid question."

"Have fun in hell," Sam joked. Danny was too nervous to laugh so he just nodded. He stood up and made his way to the exit. His fans weren't about to let him go though, they cut him off and surrounded him. By this time, Danny was too irritated to care as he used his powers to vanish from sight and pass through their bodies, without transforming.

They knew where he was going; they had heard the announcement too, so after the first few shouts of alarm they set off down the hallway after him. Knowing he might regret this, Danny summoned a mist of cold into his hand and spread it onto the floor with a swish of his hand, coating it with ice. Students slipped and skidded, crying out as they crashed into each other. In only a few moments there was a barricade of human bodies and Danny laughed as he watched them scramble to get up, only to be pulled back down by the tangle of arms and legs.

He rounded the corner and let his powers fade. The hallways were empty, save for the occasional classroom full of lunchtime clubs he passed. Danny stopped outside the Principal's office. The doors were big and imposing. The large plaque card screwed onto the wood read: 'Principal Ishiyama'. He knocked.

"Come in," a woman called from inside. He slipped through the doors and surveyed the room. It was spacious and lined with tall bookcases on one side and certificates on the other. Two sofas and a coffee table sat in the centre of the room, and the opposite wall held a large window. In front of the window, the Principal sat behind her desk. It was neat and only held a stack of documents, a cup full of pens and her computer.

"Ah, Danny! Do sit down," she motioned to the chair in front of her desk, her trademark 'too bright' smile on her face. Once Danny had sat down, she steeped her fingers together and fixed him with an authoritative stare. "I suppose you know why you are here?" she asked, though somehow she kept her tone cheerful.

Danny nodded. He knew it must have something to do with all the activity caused by his identity reveal. His suspicions were confirmed when the principal began to list off various points, "Fewer students attending class, increase in detentions, excessive attention from the media, poorer attention spans towards lectures -" She raised an eyebrow at him, "Need I go on?"

Danny shook his head. He knew it was bad, but he'd rather keep this meeting as brief as possible. Ishiyama sighed, "I hate to lose even one student but frankly, your presence is a disturbance this school can no longer tolerate." Danny's shoulders dropped. He had suspected something like this might happen. The school board couldn't have known how disastrous his attendance at school would have become, and now that a week had passed they knew it couldn't continue.

As he wallowed in silence, the principal's expression turned almost motherly. "I'm sorry Danny. If there was anything I could do to change the school board's mind, believe me, I would. But unless you and your family figure out a way to deal with this problem you might have to start considering home-schooling."

That was the end. He hadn't spoken a word but his silence told her everything. Danny was dismissed, by then the bell had rung and the halls were full of students on their way to class. He didn't feel like being pestered, so he used his powers to avoid their attention. He ended up sitting on the roof, having his own pity-party.

A buzz in his pocket told him he had received a text. Danny pulled it out and saw it was from Sam, no doubt worried as to why he hadn't shown up at their English class.

 **Is P still chewing u out?**

Danny typed a response, eager to ease her worries.

 **on the roof, dont feel like being around people right now.**

The reply came a minute later, probably slowed by Sam's effort to keep her phone hidden from Lancer.

 **How come? U alright?**

 **yea. p says i might have 2 stop school. home schooling instead.**

Even though his texting grammar was terrible, it was easy enough to understand. Sam's next text was sympathetic.

 **2 bad. Is there any way 2 change her mind?**

 **only to suddenly not attract so much attention. my "presence is a disturbance"**

A pause.

 **Hmph! She knows that's next to impossible. Tuck says hi.**

Danny smiled, he could clearly imagine Sam's cross expression becoming annoyed as Tucker leaned over the aisle to whisper to her. He felt himself calming down. Talking to his friends always helped to ease his mind and put things into perspective, even though they weren't physically there with him.

 **im gonna go home. need time to think. will visit ghost zone.**

 **Gotcha. We'll get your things. Tell them hi from us!**

Danny flipped his phone shut and stood up to stretch. He felt like transforming today. Being Danny Fenton all week had been exhausting. He called up that familiar feeling and summoned the bright hoop around his waist. It split and replaced his clothes with cool-to-the-touch spandex, finishing off with his trademark white hair and neon green eyes.

Danny Phantom merged his legs into a spectral tail and took off, racing back to his house. He enjoyed the sensation of zipping through the sky unnoticed, thanks to his invisibility. Traffic was mild and many people were out and about, busily walking to their next destination. Some talked into phones while others held bags of shopping. To anyone unfamiliar with Amity Park, it would appear that life was the same as anywhere.

However, only a true citizen could notice the small green tubes always within arm's reach, and the wary glances they would make over their shoulder as if prepared for something to jump out and attack them. The green objects were actually small canisters of Fenton Anti-Ghost Foam, a licenced product created by his parents that ordinary people could use if attacked by a ghost.

Danny zoned out, sensing his mood relaxing. Before he knew it, he was nearing FentonWorks. He merged through the wall and landed in the basement. He looked around at the mountains of mail and parcels backed up against the walls that he, Jazz and his friends hadn't sorted through yet. It was a _lot_ , originating from all over the globe, though he'd noticed that a majority had return addresses in Amity Park.

He turned his eyes to the section his sister had designated as the 'perishables' pile. This was where all the boxes of sweets, chocolates, cookies and other foods were. Most of it would go bad before his family even got to it - the pile was almost brushing the ceiling! However, Danny knew a few ectoplasmic pals who might appreciate a thank you gift or two. He set to work, using a net primarily used for catching ghosts to haul all the gifts through the Ghost Zone, making sure to leave out anything his father might enjoy.

Just as he was about to dive through the portal, he heard footsteps on the staircase and panicked. He didn't want his parents to know he had left school early, he felt embarrassed that he hadn't tried harder to make it through the week. It was Friday, he'd only had a couple of classes left to go. In addition, there was the matter of avoiding any more ghost experiments. Danny had seen the pair casting longing glances in his direction as their thirst for knowledge built up. It wouldn't be too long before their dam burst, just like his string.

Before the person could reach the basement and discover him Danny kicked off from the floor and bulldozed through the portal, using all his might to pull the bulky mass of the net through the portal. He only just managed it in time and disappeared through the swirling green vortex.

A few seconds later, Jack Fenton plodded through the lab and glanced over his shoulder warily, a huge grin on his face. He sneaked over to the snack pile and picked up a box of 'Apple Fizzle Choco-roo's. Once again, he surveyed the room carefully before ripping the box open and gorging on the sugary contents. Once he had finished, Jack gave a satisfied belch and shot a guilty look at the stairs as if expecting his wife to appear and scold him. When nothing happened, he threw the box into a corner to join the medium-sized pile of empty packages and stomped back up the stairs. He never once noticed how much the snack pile had dwindled in only half an hour.

* * *

The Ghost Zone was unlike any place on earth. For one, it had no boundaries. The swirling neon green expanse stretched for as far as the eye could see in every direction, even up and down. Large plots of land floated around, each home to its own ghost. Purple doors drifted in and out of view, leading to different parts of the Ghost Zone, other ghosts' domains and sometimes portals back to the real world.

Danny sucked in a deep breath and pulled with all his might, finally feeling the net pop free. He spun out of control for a few moments until he managed to right himself. He shook his head to clear it then jumped as a voice said, "Phantom?"

He turned to the source of the voice and discovered it came from a pair of ghosts dressed as security guards. He recognised them as Walker's lackeys and nodded, "Yes. Did Walker send you?"

The two nodded and the one on the right spoke, the same who had spoken before, "Skulker alerted us that you would be entering the Ghost Zone with real world items, so he dispatched us to escort you to his office. We'll hold onto those for you." The ghost on the left moved forward to take the net from him in a non-threatening way. Since it didn't seem like he was in trouble just yet, Danny handed it over then took off as the first ghost motioned for him to follow.

As they drifted through the Ghost Zone, many ghosts caught sight of Danny and waved cheerfully, though stayed back since they didn't want to be persecuted for obstructing the law. He waved back as a sign of friendliness. He was happy that the ghosts seemed more accepting of him, and he wasn't going to do anything that might jeopardise that.

The first ghost noticed him waving and explained, "The ghosts have been talking about you a lot the past few weeks. They all feel grateful to you for saving the Ghost Zone along with your world. Many have been waiting impatiently to see you again.'

"Really?" Danny exclaimed. It was one thing to guess the truth, but quite another to hear a ghost admit it. It almost felt like they were getting along. He glanced back at the second ghost and was met with a comforting smile. He had a lot to tell tucker and Sam when he got back.

"We're almost there," the ghost said. Danny scanned ahead and his eyes fell upon Walker's prison. He hoped he wasn't about to be thrown in jail. No, he had to believe that Skuker had fulfilled his promise. Otherwise, he might never see his friends - or the human world - ever again.

That wasn't too much to ask for, right?

* * *

 **YEEEESSSS! Finally done with this chapter! Since it was taking me so long, I finally decided to rely on my muse and unlocked the pantry for Jade. She emptied it so fast I thought she'd turned into 'Upchuck' for a second there (no, I won't explain where that name came from - go find out for yourself!).**

 **So now my kitchen is completely empty once again *sad, demoralised sigh***

 **Jade: *munching on 'Apple fizzle Choco-roo's* When can we go shopping? I still don't feel completely full.**

 **Me: *hair falls in front of face, speaks in a dangerous whisper* What did you say...? You want more...?**

 **Jade: *frowns in confusion* Well, yea...**

 **Me: *pulls out Fenton Anti-Creep Stick* I know where we can get more... *advances***

 **Jade: *freezes, glances at snack in her hand, looks up in panic, runs away screaming***

 **Me: GIVE ME THOSE COOKIES YOU INGRATE! *chases her***

 ***imaginary cat walks past and sees two girls running and screaming, shakes head at them, then pulls out a sign, writes on it and shows it to the audience***

 **Sign reads: "See ya next time!"**


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: Ugggghhhhh…. I feel terrible…**

 **Jade: *looks up from pudding* What's wrong with you?**

 **Me: *falls on couch, presses cushion to face* I spent too long getting around to this chapter. The readers probably hate me….**

 **Jade: *mouth full* They probably do.**

 **Me: *whining* They must think I'm some rude, lethargic bum who only watches anime…**

 **Jade: *scrunches up face* Aren't you?**

 **Me: NO! I watch other things too! Cartoons are the greatest! *mumbles* If only they had better plots…*sighs* And I forgot to sign off last time too…**

 **Jade: *starts eating a tub of ice cream* Oh, don't worry. The cat took care of it.**

 **Me: *looks up slowly* What cat?**

 **Jade: *chewing* Yeah, I was confused too, but it has better grammar than you!**

 **Me: *stares at her* You mean… It was real?**

 **Jade: *swallows* Huh? Have you spent too many late nights reading fanfiction?**

 **Me: *soft whisper* I thought it was imaginary…. Like, my mind trying to make me feel better for forgetting to sign off…**

 ***long moment of silence***

 **Jade: *drops tub of ice cream* So it's not yours!? Then… WHO'S CAT IS IT!?**

 **Me: PREPARE FOR INVASION!**

 ***they start frantically building a pillow fort and stocking it with supplies***

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

 **Chapter 6: A Sack of Goodies and Too Many Ghosts (Plus a Friend)**

* * *

The walls of Walker's room were white.

Danny felt blinded the moment he was escorted inside. Everywhere he looked, there were pure white surfaces. Even the furniture matched the colour scheme - a stark comparison to the slate grey halls of the prison he remembered.

"We meet again, Phantom."

Danny jumped and flicked his eyes to the desk. He hadn't noticed before because they blended in with the rest of the room, but there was a ghost sitting there, fixing him with watchful eyes.

He swallowed, "Walker. I guess you know why I'm here?"

The older ghost nodded and stood up menacingly, making a show of displaying just how big he was compared to the halfa in front of him. He said nothing, simply staring at Danny with his off-putting eyes. Danny coughed and felt sweat slide down his back.

Walker opened his mouth to speak, "As you know, the Ghost Zone is a chaotic place. Without the law, we would live in constant anarchy. We need laws in order to live with each other," his eyes burrowed into Danny, making the other shiver with the feeling Walker was looking _into_ him. "And _I_ make those laws." He turned around and clasped his hands behind his back as he looked through the window down onto the prison grounds. "In this place I am the judge, executioner, law-maker, jury, executioner..."

The prison warden droned on about all the power he was responsible for. Danny found it a bit hard to pay attention. He was too nervous thinking _why_ Walker was going off on a tangent instead of harshly berating him. It was strange he wasn't in shackles already!

The guard who had escorted him here, in fact, one of the ones who had waited for him at the portal whispered in his ear, "Walker may not show it, but he's actually secretly happy you came to him to ask for permission. The fact you had the forethought to send Skulker ahead with a request is just the icing on the cake. He's glad you finally seem to be following the rules. You're already on his good side, so try not to mess up."

The ghost's tone was encouraging but Danny couldn't help but feel even more anxious as he waited for Walker's monologue to finish. The warden paused and spun around to address him, leaning close and looking _very_ dangerous.

"What is your reason for bringing real world contraband into the Ghost Zone, _knowing_ it is unlawful?" His deep voice boomed and filled the space so it felt suffocating, and his ominous presence did nothing to help matters. Danny tried to get his voice to work but found his throat was suddenly dry. He _really_ didn't want to get thrown in jail. Maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew. If only his friends were here.

 _Focus Danny!,_ he told himself. He forced his throat to swallow and summoned all the diplomacy he could muster.

"Mr. Walker," the warden raised his eyebrow. "I can assure you that I have a perfectly logical reason in the best interests of all ghosts as to why I brought all this stuff." Walker leaned out of his personal space and seemed content to listen until he had finished, so he continued. "The asteroid that nearly destroyed both our worlds was avoided only a few weeks ago, so I think it's time that I show you all show appreciation."

Danny looked Walker straight in the eyes, "Those 'real world contraband' are gifts for all the ghosts who helped me. It's also to say sorry for dragging them around in a net and hoping they'd just do as I say. That was wrong of me and if I know you, you'll throw me in a cell the minute I stop talking because I just incriminated myself for kidnapping and coercion but please let me give them anyway and why am I saying all this I know I'm rambling but god I'm really nervous hahahaha..."  
He shut his mouth and shifted anxiously under the warden's stare, unsure if it was contemplative or thunderous. He had no idea which would be better.

Finally, Walker's face moulded into something puzzled, his brow furrowed and his gaze distant. "Mr...?" he repeated.

Danny was thrown for a loop, "What?"

The ghost guard helpfully spoke into his ear, "I don't think Mr. Walker has ever heard you respectfully address an authority figure. He seems quite confused."

"Wha-!" The ghost boy flustered, unsure of what to say. "I respect authority! I mean there's..."

Danny's eyes went wide, "Ok, wow, I guess you're right. It's kinda hard to like a teacher who hates my guts and even harder to love parents who want to rip me apart 'molecule by molecule'."

Danny caught himself and hurried to amend his statement, "But that was all before they knew I was the ghost boy! I don't really hate them now... B-but that's just humans! I respect lots of ghosts!"

"Yes."

"There's Clockwork, Frostbite, Wolf... Skulker, I guess?"

"I said yes."

"On second thought, scratch that. I don't really know him all that well... Maybe-"

"Phantom!" Danny winced as the ghost warden raised his voice.

"Um, what?"

Walker stepped around his desk and approached from the side. His larger size only seemed to swell up more as it filled Danny's vision; the ghost towered over him! "I said, you may."

Danny released the breath he had been holding, "May what?"

Walker sighed, "You're not very bright, are you?"

"Hey! I'm plenty bright! I glow like a candle!"

The ghost ignored the joke and walked back to his desk, picking up some papers. "Here are the permit papers needed in order to possess and distribute real world items in the Ghost Zone. All it takes is one stamp from me and a signature from you and you'll be free to do as you like with your 'sack of goodies'," Danny frowned as he detected a hint of satire (a word he was proud he'd managed to pick up during one of Lancer's classes despite his 'popularity situation').

Walker paused. "Within reasonable boundaries," he added.

But Danny didn't care, he was too thrilled for anything short of another asteroid to dampened his previously bad mood. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips - the prize was almost within reach! He made sure to keep his attention centred on Walker, waiting to hear the rest of the older ghost's words.

Walker stared into the face of the Ghost Zone's hero - their 'saviour'. That might be the way Danny was seen in the eyes of other ghosts but to him, in that moment, he looked nothing more than an earnest child who'd do anything in the world to get the toy he wanted.

Did Walker trust him not to use the permit unwisely? It was hard to say, but the little runt was certainly on the way to getting off his 'to capture' list.

Little did he know that deep in his mind his subconscious had already given up on 'bringing the ghost boy to justice'. It was actually better in the long run to keep him out of a cell as it dissuaded any trouble-making ghosts from breaking the law. He would let the boy do as he liked, regardless of whatever mayhem he whipped up. He would still threaten to press charged though - _that never got old._

"You want to show your appreciation to us for helping you turn the earth intangible, correct?" The boy nodded. "Then I see no reason not to grant you permission to do as you say. You have my formal approval." Walker reached into his coat and took out a black ink stamp, pressing his official seal onto the paper.

"Use it wisely," he added gravely.

Danny nodded, his smile now as bright as the sun itself, "I will." That had gone much better than he thought, but he felt like a few years had been shaved off his lifespan nonetheless.

Walker handed him the pen.

* * *

His good mood continued as he walked through the prison corridors, regardless of the fact that his goofy smile made him look like an idiot. He couldn't help it; the smile refused to leave his face as if stuck with Fenton Sustiglue (super sticky glue). Any ghost walking by would have said it was as radiant as the sun.

Currently, the guard from Walker's office was taking him to where his sack of stuff had been secured. The ghost seemed as happy as Danny.

"So what's your name?" he asked, wanting to know the name of the ghost who had not left his side since he entered the ghost zone.

The guard smiled, pleased the boy would want to know, "It's Miles."

"Last name?"

"You don't care about last names when you're dead."

"I guess not. Ok, then," Danny pressed. "How long have you been a guard?"

Miles smiled whimsically, "All my life and afterlife. I used to live in Arkansas when I was alive. I was a police officer, so joining up with Walker was the best thing to happen to me when I died."

Danny listened, touched that Miles had chosen to share such sensitive information with him. Not many ghosts liked to speak of when they were alive since it reminded them of what they had lost and whom they left behind.

"It suits you," he decided to say.

The ghost said nothing; they had arrived at the storage room. The two paused their flight and Miles swiped a key card into the access port. The grey door slid open to reveal a room cast in shadow. Miles flicked a switch and a fluorescent light flickered to life to present them with large piles of stuff Danny recognised as things from the living realm.

"That's a lot of stuff," he breathed.

Miles chuckled, "More than you expected?" The boy nodded.

How do you get it all to stay in on place, and on the _ground_ at that?" Danny pressed.

Miles replied, "This room is surrounded by two walls, one of ghostly energy and the other of real world iron. We have a gravity generator somewhere in the back to stop them from floating around."

Danny giggled. Miles looked confused, "What?"

Danny shrugged, "Just that in my dimension, people are trying to create _anti_ -gravity generators instead. Weird right?"

Miles considered this. "So, humans are trying to find a way to float around like ghosts? That _is_ weird."

"Humans would say ghosts are weird," Danny retaliated.

Miles smiled. "I guess that makes you the weirdest," but the joke didn't get the reaction he hoped for.

The ghost boy's shoulders slumped and a wave of dejection passed over his face. "Yeah, I guess so..." he trailed off. "And what good does that do me?"

The guard frowned, "You don't like being half ghost?"

"No, no!" Danny cried. "It's just..." He sighed miserably. "Sometimes I wonder if I might have been better off not revealing my identity - at least to the whole world."

The ghost didn't understand, "What do you mean?"

The ghost boy wearily sat down on a television, the nearest thing to sit on. "Have you ever read comic book about superheroes before?"

"I think so," Miles nodded slowly, having no idea what the kid was going on about.

"Well, humans love that kind of stuff, especially teenagers. A superhero is someone with awesome powers fighting to protect them all, someone they look up to. The attention was all right when I was Danny Phantom since they had no idea of who I really was. But now they know who I am, what I am and even where I live."

Miles simply listened to the boy vent all his frustrations as he floated deeper into the piles of contraband. "I get to wake up every day to a crowd screaming at me to transform. I receive mountains of fan mail that will one day overrun my house. I get to go to school and be pestered for photos and stared at the whole day. News reporters and fans ask me for autographs. Even the merchandise sells better than Empress She-Wolf! The whole world is treating me like I'm some endangered species to put on a pedestal and admire! Like I'm not a normal person!"

Miles swivelled to stare at the boy he was quickly beginning to think needed some guidance for his troubles. "Are you?"

"What?" Danny frowned.

The ghost guard continued, "Are you normal?"

Danny sighed, "No. I guess not."

"Then why does it bother you now?" Miles perked up as he finally spotted the sack of 'goodies' belonging to his companion.

Danny slumped in defeat. "Because... because everything's different now. I used to be nobody, just the poor sucker who was shoved in lockers and got C minuses in all my classes. Then I got my powers and suddenly I was something..." he struggled to find the right word. "More. It was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I was a butt-kicking hero who saved the town and went on adventures with my friends."

He smiled at the memory, but it was short-lived. "Well, not anymore. Now that my cover has been blown, I hardly have a moment to myself. The attention is _suffocating_ me. I need an outlet, something to stop me from losing my mind." He paused, "And my school life. _No way_ am I being home schooled by my overbearing parents."

He jolted as a net full of gifts hit the ground in front of him. Miles' head popped up round the side. "Have you thought to ask for help?"

Danny shrugged, "Who can I ask? Tucker would think it's cool, Sam would tell me to deal with it, my parents are terrible role models, my sister would only be annoying-"

"How about someone _not_ human. After all, your problem doesn't sound like it falls under the living realm's... expertise."

The boy's eyebrows rose, "Then, a ghost? Who?"

Miles floated over to him and gave a reassuring smile, "The ghost best at helping others of all - Clockwork."

Danny sat is silence, thinking it over. "How can he help me?" He paused. "Wow, dumb question. He knows _everything,_ including that I have a problem."

Miles sat down next to him, "Exactly. As the Master of Time, Clockwork is responsible for looking after the time streams of _all_ beings - not just ghosts. It's fair to assume he knows quite a bit about your world."

Danny slowly nodded, "Yeah, ok. Clockwork will know what to do, and if he doesn't..." He smiled, "Hell would freeze over before that happened."

"Actually, despite popular belief Hell is not a realm of fire or burning," Miles interjected.

Danny looked up at him in amusement, "Why? Have you been there?"

Miles nodded, completely serious, "I have."

"What is it?" Miles paused, unsure if he should tell the young boy about Walker's torture chamber. He determined it would be for the better if he let the poor boy sleep that night.

"Doesn't matter. Now," Miles placed a hand on the large sack that towered over them. "How do you plan on emptying this sack?"

* * *

As it turned out, Miles was more than happy to help Danny give out the gifts to the Ghost Zone residents. He was becoming a fast-friend and even went so far as to round up a couple of his colleagues to help.

"Won't you get in trouble with Walker?" Danny asked nervously.

Miles shook his head, "Nah. We've been waiting for the perfect time to take some time off, so this is great. Besides, it'll take too long with just yourself." He purposely forgot to mention that the group of guards had been given permission from Walker beforehand if the warden had been pleased with Danny's explanation.

And so it happened that the Danny and his ghostly helpers split the sack's contents between them and travelled around the ghosts' home, delivery presents and thanks to every door, a bit like a ghostly version of Santa Claus and his elves. The ghosts were pleasantly surprised (after Danny explained that he was there only as an act of goodwill and the ghosts stopped trying to blast his face off) by his thoughtfulness and their acknowledgement of him only grew.

Soon the message had spread that 'Danny Phantom pays back his favours' and ghosts from all over started coming to him, expecting their own colourfully wrapped gift. Many ghosts he knew made an appearance such as Box Ghost, Lunch Lady, Ghost Writer, Young blood, Spectra and Bertrand, Desiree, Cujo and Wolf.

"Vi faras feliĉojn kun via boneco," Wolf rasped as he accepted a box of sweets.

"Thanks," replied Danny, not quite understanding all the Esperanto words but nevertheless getting the gist of it.

Another ghost he caught a glimpse of was Fright Knight. He could have sworn that the ghost, now no longer under the servitude of Pariah Dark, had shown up while the crowd was large and busy and done nothing but stare. He didn't move closer to obtain his own 'appreciation package' as they had been dubbed by the ecstatic ghosts, he had simply sat on his sinister steed and fixed his helmeted gaze on the halfa.

Danny had felt the chills emanating from his stare and swivelled round to give the ghost a piece of his mind - "Wait, where'd he go?" Danny scanned the area but could not find any trace of the knight, and instead speculated on whether he had imagined it. He figured the ghost was probably somewhere else and wouldn't feel the need to accept a gift, preferring to keep Danny in his debt until a later time?

He settled to forget about it. The sack was still half full!

More than anything, Danny was relieved when none of them seemed to want to fight him or even share unfriendly banter. He had fun talking to them as he did during the Christmas Truce and found out that many of them liked to chat and joke around just like he did.

The only downside was that Bertrand kept shapeshifting into snakes or clowns whenever he turned his back, occasionally earning him a small scare, which the other ghosts found hilarious.

Overall, Danny was glad he had decided to come here. The longer he stayed, the more he felt the previous week's tensions slowly slipping away, replaced with well-deserved serenity.

* * *

 **Me: *head pops out from under pillow fort* Oh, there you are! We've been waiting for you to finish reading so we can get your help! *eyes dart around in suspicion* Were you followed? Doesn't seem like it… Come inside, quickly!**

 ***reader jumps into pillow fort***

 **Me: Welcome aboard! Jade, what's our status?**

 **Jade: Uhhhh…. We're running low on supplies. Our rations won't last longer than a week at best.**

 **Me: What? But I thought we fully stocked everything! We should have had a month's worth! *spots wrapper under pillow* Have you been eating** _ **extra rations**_ **!?**

 **Jade: STRESS MAKES ME STRESS EAT, OKAY?**

 **Me: Gahhhhhh! I can't believe you! Whatever! Hey, Rookie! *throws reader binoculars* Keep a look out for the cat, alright? *dangerous whisper*** _ **It's out there…**_

 **MISSION: Locate, capture and interrogate enemy cat. DISSMISSED!**

* * *

Translations:

Wolf: "You make ghosts happy with your kindness."

 **A/N: Make sure to look out for Fright Knight in future chapters! He's an important plot device in this fanfic's main storyline. (And I assure you, all this "fluff" at the start and end of each chapter DOES have an end goal. Think of it as a writing exercise for me and BONUS material for you. You're welcome, enjoy!)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Helloooooooooo! Welcome back to the amazing world of Yours Truly!**

 **Yes, I know. It's been too long since I last updated and I'm sorry. But enough about that! Let's get on to the real reason you came back to see me! THE NEW CHAPTER!**

 **Jade: Uh, TMC? I have something to repo-**

 **Me: Now is not the time, Jade! Can't you see that I'm entertaining the masses with my brilliant work? And call me COMMANDER TMC!**

 **Jade: *mutters under breath* I worked hard on it too y'know…**

 **Me: What was that?**

 **Jade: Nothing! *goes back to sipping Boost smoothie and looking through binoculars***

 **Me: Well, then. On with the show!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

* * *

 **Repaying A Debt And Seeing Old Friends:**

As Danny was hauling the remains of his share back to the prison to regroup, he met up with a rather excited face. "Welp! You came at last!"

The self-proclaimed ghost hunter gave a nasty smile, not quite predatorial but not completely friendly either. It was clear he wanted something.

"Hey, Skulker. Thanks for doing me that favour." When Skulker had shown up at his school, Danny had promised to help him on the condition that he alert Walker as to his intentions and smooth things over so he wouldn't be jailed on the spot.

The hunter's eyes shined, "And what of your part?"

Danny rolled his eyes. He sure did cut to the chase. "You wanted help with your girlfriend, right? Well, have you tried talking to her?"

Skulker scoffed. "Of course! What do you take me for!? I can't be the Greatest Hunter in the Ghost Zone if I can't even converse with my significant other!"

Danny raised his eyebrow, knowing what was coming. "And did it work?"

Skulker immediately slumped over. "Unfortunately, no. She slammed the door on my face, but not before causing my ears to bleed from her incessant screaming." He placed his fists on his hips and considered their last conflict. "If I had to describe how she looked it would be…" He searched for the right word, " _Frosty_."

Danny raised an eyebrow, "As in...?"

Skulker threw his hands up in the air, "As in cold and moody!" His exasperation grew with every moment he had to explain something more to the halfa. Why was someone who had managed to elude him time after time so _clueless_ when it came to girls!?

Danny sensed the ghost's mood and sighed. Why was someone who claimed to be the 'Greatest Hunter in the Ghost Zone' so _dumb_ when it came to girls? "Look, Skulker. I've had my fair share of screw-ups and surprises in relation to dating, but it doesn't take a genius to know that Ember being a drama queen is not something I can fix."

"But you have an idea, yes?" Skulker asked expectantly.

The halfa rolled his eyes. "Okay, sure. If there's anything I've learnt about girls, it's that they love it when guys show their appreciation. Give her a gift and maybe she'll calm down. Hang on, I think I've got something..." He bent over to rummage through the pile at his feet, mumbling, "Where is it..?"

Skulker watched him, feeling unconvinced the answer could be so simple. He knelt and leaned over the boy so he help him search the pile, but a question still lingered on his tongue. "And if she sneezes snow on me again?"

Danny jerked his head up in surprise. "Wha- OW!" He extracted himself from under the large metal being his head had collided with and cradled bruise forming at the crown of his hair, hissing in pain. Skulker held out his arms like he wanted to help but wasn't quite sure what to do.

"Snow? Sneezing? What are you going on about?" the boy grumbled, feeling a tad irked that Skulker had been _right over him_.

The hunter held up his hands in defence, "It's what I've been telling you! She's covered head-to-toe in frost and her skin seemed even bluer than before. She gets cranky when she's cold, but she's never been _this_ -"

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! Hold the phone! Are you telling me she has a _cold_!?" Danny gaped at him, the present idea now long forgotten.

The hunter snorted, "Of course not. Don't mistake this for one of your silly little human illnesses."

Danny slapped himself in the face, dragging his hand down his features. _"Ay-yai-yai. This guy's skull is thicker than a brick wall,"_ Danny mentally groaned. He sighed and motioned for the ghost to continue adding details.

Skulker coughed. "It started about two weeks ago. Small symptoms like a random chill or cough. It only got worse. Now, whenever Ember coughs the temperature plummets, and those who are too close when she sneezes freeze over!"

He rubbed his head awkwardly, stealing a glance at Danny. "I thought she might be getting ice powers like yours..." He never completed his sentence once he saw the glare the halfa was shooting at him.

" _That's_ what you meant by 'ice queen' and 'frosty'?" the ghost boy exclaimed. Skulker nodded warily. "WELL THEN SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE!" he yelled, seething so much his eyes were glowing ice blue and the air suddenly became a few degrees colder.

"That's it!" Skulker pointed at him. "She's exactly like that! Only worse." He didn't seem to notice the murderous intent rolling off the halfa in tsunami-like waves, only kept rambling on about his girlfriend's condition.

Danny took several deep breaths and forced himself not to strangle the idiot. Not that he could anyway; he doubted his hands would even fit around Skulker's metal neck.

"Are you sure it's not just a cold?" he asked.

Skulker growled and stood up swiftly, towering over the boy. "Ghosts do not _get_ sick. We are forms of ectoplasmic energy - _superior_ to you weak, feeble humans."

"...says the ghost asking said weak, feeble human for help," Danny countered.

The larger ghost folded his arms over his chest and looked away. "You're a half breed. That does not count."

Danny snorted, "Whatever." He picked up his pile of presents and began floating away, speaking over his shoulder. "Follow me. I know someone who might be able to help." He turned back to watch his flight path and increased his speed, not waiting for the hunter to follow.

Skulker activated his jet wings and took off after the boy as he first dropped off his load with one of Walker's guards and explained what he was doing, then led him through the great, green and slightly nauseating expanse of the Ghost Zone.

 **[A/N: Does anyone else feel like the characters should be getting motion sickness ALL THE TIME from looking at those green swirls in the Ghost Zone? God I feel sick now…. ]**

* * *

Skulker's machinery was _not_ meant for extreme cold.

This was nothing like a sneeze from Ember. It was so cold out here that his built-in heater had trouble keeping up. His gears and levers were freezing up and jamming from the frigid air. He bared his teeth and pumped the temperature up to the max, but it did little to loosen his joints.

"How much farther?" he growled at his guide.

Danny glanced at him over his shoulder, smiling at whatever he saw. "What's the matter? Not a fan of the cold?"

"You wouldn't be either if you had to worry about your gears getting stuck." To prove his point, Skulker tried to move his arm to check his vitals screen, but his arm refused to move more than half the distance.

Danny laughed as he watched the ghost failing to retract his arm. "Maybe. It's nothing like my ice blasts, isn't it?" Skulker said nothing in reply, only grumbled and shivered violently. (Well, more of a jarring, creaking body shake. The cold was really doing a number on his joints.)

Danny checked their location, looking for landmarks he recognised amongst all the ice and snow. A faint blizzard was obscuring his vision and he needed to make sure they stayed on track. He had taken the time during their trip to the frozen domain to think over his decisions.

It was a fact that Danny owed Skulker for helping him with Walker - the papers stuffed under shirt were proof of that. But something was nagging at him. His instincts from being at odds with the ghosts for so long? Maybe.

Danny shook his head. _"No, no, no. Skulker came specifically to_ me _for help,"_ he reasoned with himself. _"He has no intentions of stuffing and mounting me on his walls anymore. Plus, I'll have my friends to help. They're living proof that not all ghosts are bad!"_ He blanched at his own words, _"Well, they're not exactly_ living _since they're ghosts but-"_

"WATCH OUT!"

Danny was jerked from his thoughts – literally. Skulker pulled him back just in time to stop him from flying straight into an ice cliff. He blinked in confusion, "Uhhhh, thanks."

The hunter only huffed, "It would do me no good to lose my guide before you are able to take me to your friend. Now can we please hurry up?" The ghost was doing his best to appear as if he only cared what happened to the boy for his own interests, yet his furtive glances to make sure he was truly okay did not go unnoticed.

"Riiiiiiiiight," Danny smiled but made no other comment, to which Skulker was grateful. They continued flying in silence. After a while things got a bit awkward.

"So…. Where are you taking me?" Skulker asked. He'd never been this deep into the frozen wasteland part of the Ghost Zone. Was it even possible that ghosts lived out here?

"Oh, just to an old buddy of mine," Danny beat around the bush, wanting to keep the surprise a – well, a surprise. He spun around and continued flying facing backwards. "You could say we…. share similar qualities," he grinned widely, the excitement already catching up to him.

Skulker huffed. It seemed he wouldn't get more than that out of the boy. He had no choice but to trust Danny wasn't leading him into some ice cave that was the lair of some vicious, ghostly polar bear or something.

* * *

"What is that? Some sort of vicious, ghostly polar bear?"

Skulker reached for his wrist pad and activated his arm cannon. With swift precision, he swung it round and charged a blast to take out the enemy. Before he could, a small figure jumped in front and blocked his shot.

"Skulker, NO! He's a friend!" Danny cried desperately as he floated in the air with his arms outstretched. The hunter merely stiffened; he didn't back down.

Danny sunk to the ground as non-threateningly as he could and slowly backtracked through the snow to stand by the creature's side. He motioned towards the creature. "This is one of the Far Frozen. They're a peaceful tribe, but only if you _don't tick them off_ ," Danny ground out the last part and glared at Skulker's weapon in the hopes that he would understand.

"Just put your weapon _down_."

Thankfully, Skulker did as he instructed. Danny breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to the ghost beside him. A large, hulking figure of snow-white fur and a wolfish face, complete with horns and fangs that resembled sharp icicles. They also wore fur boots, a belted tunic and blue arms bands around their biceps.

The figure knelt down so he was on eye level with Danny and rested its spear on the ground. It began to bubble incomprehensible gibberish excitedly, its pale glacier-blue eyes shining in joy. The tribesman of the Far Frozen lifted his big, furry, clawed hand and pet him affectionately on the head.

"Haha. Hey, big guy!" Danny laughed. He didn't intimately know this particular tribesman, but they all knew him well enough to become ecstatic whenever he visited them. The head pat was probable a means of thanks for stopping Skulker from shooting first and asking questions later.

He wormed his way out from underneath the large paw, "I'm here to see Frostbite. Can you take us to him?" The tribesman nodded eagerly. He stood up and poked his head through the main gates of their frozen city, chattering to someone inside.

When he stood back, another tribesman followed. He nodded his head to Danny and stood at attention in front of the gate, having taken the other's place on watch. The first waved for the two to follow him and led them inside.

Danny stepped forward without hesitation. When it became known to him that Skulker was not immediately behind him, he turned back. The hunter was still outside the gate, looking warily at the guard beside him. The large yeti-like ghost turned his eyes on him and garbled a few words.

Danny could tell he was being encouraging, but Skulker did not look the least bit at ease. He felt the halfa's eyes on him and hurriedly stepped through, his feet crunching through the snow. "Are you okay?" Danny asked as he resumed walking.

"Of course, whelp. I am the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter. Who would I be if I was afraid of beasts bigger than myself?" He bit back harshly.

Danny pondered next to him in silence, then, "I never said you were scared."

Skulker flinched but couldn't look him in the eye. "Shut up," he muttered, though he made it in his best interests to stick as close to Danny as he could while they wandered through the village of the Far Frozen. Soon enough, they came to a large ice cave flanked by guards.

More of the Far Frozen appeared amongst the igloo-like houses to watch the guests with amounting interest. They particularly paid close attention to the newcomer, shifting nervously at his tenseness. Danny also picked up on the mood.

"Hey. Loosen up, would ya? You're making skittish," he pointed out. The ghost didn't have a chance to reply before a large form emerged from the cave. Upon hearing it's loud footsteps he instinctively dropped into a fighting stance. Danny hissed at him, a warning that he should stay where he was.

The figure crept closer and closer, finally stepping out into the sun. The sunlight glinted off the ghost's arm, which Skulker realised was made of ice. You could see right through to his bones. The other difference were the cape and fancier clothes that set him apart from the rest of the tribe.

As soon as the ghost's eyes landed on the smaller ghost, he broke into a wide grin. "GREAT ONE! YOU HAVE RETURNED TO US!" The ghost, which Skulker assumed to be the leader, swept the halfa up into his arms and squeezed him tightly. The rest of the tribe cheered loudly; a visit from the Great one was a cause for celebration!

Danny grunted from inside the bone-crushing hug and managed to grunt out his greeting as well. Once he had been put down, he turned to the hunter. "Skulker, I want you meet Frostbite. He's the leader of the Far Frozen."

"A pleasure to meet you! Any friend of the Great One is a friend of ours," Frostbite acknowledge warmly, which Skulker thought to be ironic considering their…. choice of residence.

The hunter did his best to look at ease while his joints were stiff from cold and stumbled out a response. Looking back on this moment, Skulker wouldn't be able to recall whatever it was he said. Truth be told, he had other problems right now.

Skulker was _way_ out of his element.

He was the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter! He made a sport out of hunting and capturing ghosts more ferocious and lethal than these oversized polar bears! Yet he couldn't help but feel a little peeved that there were beings out there - other than Vlad Plasmius and Pariah Dark, of course – who, by the looks of those razor sharp teeth and claws, were bigger and more _naturally_ dangerous than him! He was only a shrimp in a metal suit for crying out loud!

His gaze switched to the boy before him, casually chattering away with the object of his discomfort as if he was no more than speaking to his weakling human friends. To put it simple, he was stumped – as well as a little unnerved – that the whelp he had been chasing all these years could have such strength in him.

It truly blew him away…

It took a few moments for the hunter to realise that they were now addressing him. He snapped out of his daze, "Uh! What?"

Danny snorted. "Lost in your own world, huh? That's a first for you." His expression turned serious, "I was just telling Frostbite your suspicions about Ember gaining ice powers."

Frostbite continued, "The cryokinetic ability shared amongst the Far Frozen and young Danny here is very rare and unlikely to remain hidden for so long. If she has shown no signs of possessing an ice core, then I am afraid the cause of her frost must be caused by something else."

Skulker's shoulders drooped. "Oh…" was all he said.

Danny felt his heart go out to his former enemy. He floated up beside him and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Hey, it's okay. I'm sure we'll find a solution for her. If anyone knows how to help, it's Frostbite." He looked up at the ghost he considered a friend and mentor. "Do you have any idea what might be wrong with her?"

The yeti placed a hand to his chin and thought hard. "Hmm… The symptoms you have described do sound familiar. Perhaps I read it somewhere…" he trailed off, deep in thought. Danny waited for him to say something. Nearly a minute passed before he did.

"Ah! I believe I have the answer!" he cried. Frostbite waved one of the guards over and whispered something in his ear. The guard nodded and trudged into the leader's cave. He turned back to his guests, "What you have told me sounds different from a lack of control over her ghost core. Instead of bottling all the cold up and finding herself unable to feel warm, she has been letting out freezing bursts of energy."

His audience nodded to confirm they understood, Danny even more so since he had experienced the 'lack of control' Frostbite was talking about. "Well, there you have it!" the ghost exclaimed. "My guess is that she came in contact with a virus that chilled her core, causing her energy to fluctuate at the irregular temperature."

Skulker growled, "Ghosts do not _get_ sick."

Danny frowned, "Well, apparently Ember is. Ghosts might be different from humans, but you're still living beings. You're not immortal and you're not all-powerful. So buck-up and deal with it. You wanna help her right?" Skulker stared at him in silent struggled, then at last huffed and nodded.

"Very well. If I wish to help Ember, I must expand my perception. Correct?" he muttered.

Frostbite leaned closer and whispered in Danny's ear, "He understands better than you, Great One."

Danny's smile was strained, "Let's not go that far. He's still denser than my family's emergency bunker."

The guard returned holding a package, which he passed on to Skulker. "Give your loved one this medicine and she should start feeling better. Come back here if anything else arises," Frostbite spoke genuinely. "The Far Frozen will provide you with any help you require."

Skulker bowed his head in thanks, empowered once again. "You have my thanks. And you," he faced the halfa and smirked good-naturedly. "Consider your debt repaid. May we meet again." With only slight difficulty now that his heater had finally caught up with the cold, the hunter activated his jet wings and took off, waving as he flew.

"You have an exceptional friend," Frostbite murmured as the pair watched his receding figure.

"Yeah," Danny smiled. "I do."

* * *

 **HEY, WHAT UP? Did you enjoy the chapter?**

 **Sorry this took me practically half a term to write. My motivation has really needed a recharge, but the holidays had me covered so no worries! It's probably unlikely that I'll release another chapter before I go back to school, so nuclear bombs will not be tolerated. I WARNED YOU BEFOREHAND!**

 **Also: this is a shout-out to one of my readers – Invader Johnny**

 **I was surprised when only five minutes after posting the last chapter you already sent me a review. Like, SERIOULSY, man! YOU ARE A FAST READER! And thank you for always leaving a review!**

 **REVIEWS ARE MY VERSION OF COFFEE – HELP ME BECOME A CAFFEINE ADDICT!**

 **Jade: Are you done yet? I really have to tell you som-**

 **Me: Quit chewing on candy bars and get back to work! This fort is only made of cushions, y'know! It doesn't have a high-tech defence system against enemy cats!**

 **Jade: *takes bite, speaks through chewing* Yeah, but-**

 **Me: NO BUTS! I want you keeping watch until your hair falls out! Tell me as soon as it makes a move! Now where was I… *turns back to audience and keep talking nonsense***

 **Jade: *shrugs and gives up, turns back to binoculars and keeps eating, watches as cat plays jazz on its saxophone* That is one** _ **talented**_ **cat.**

 **See you next time!**


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